Murphy out to grab Group 1 glory sooner rather than later

After a topsy-turvy start to the season, Oisin Murphy will have only one set of ups and downs on his mind this weekend: the undulations at Epsom, where the jockey will have another couple of chances to achieve his immediate priority of landing his first Group 1 prize.

Surely the closest thing racing has to a youthful prodigy, the 21-year-old has two live Classic hopes on the famous Downs.

First there is Horseplay, whom he rides in the Investec Oaks for his longtime employer Andrew Balding, Murphy's schooling in the famed Kingsclere academy having provided the grounding for his role as number one rider for Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing team.