'It's not over yet' - Murphy and Buick insist jockeys' title is still wide open

Oisin Murphy insists the British Flat jockeys' championship is far from over despite leading William Buick by nine winners with 12 days of the season remaining.

Murphy, who is hoping to secure his third straight title, matched Buick with one winner at Lingfield on Monday but believes his challenger will have the greater ammunition before the season concludes at Ascot on Qipco British Champions Day on October 16.

"It's not over," said Murphy, who leads 143-134. "William has got a lot of good rides and I just need to keep going. The trainers who have been supporting me have had brilliant seasons but the maidens are starting to get more competitive, so it's going to be tough but I'll keep trying.

"I'm going to have fewer chances than him, he's on four favourites a day and I'm on one, but if I keep riding winners and don't mess up, hopefully it's going to be good enough."

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The two riders are set to go head to head this week, competing at Kempton on Tuesday and Wednesday, Chelmsford on Thursday and Newmarket on Friday and Saturday.

Dubai Future Champions Day on Saturday features the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes with Buick set to ride hot favourite Native Trail but the challenger insisted his priority is the championship.

"The title is absolutely the focus," he said. "It doesn't change if the gap is nine or 18, I'm still going to give it everything I've got. Whether I can do it or not is another matter.

"Of course it's probably stacked against me but I'll give it everything. You have to believe, otherwise you wouldn't get out of bed."

Tony Hind: 'These guys can get on a run, nine winners in 12 days is nothing to this pair'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Buick's agent Tony Hind is singing from the same hymn sheet and insisted that they have not given up on Goldolphin's number one rider landing a first title.

"It's all down to luck now," said Hind, who has guided Ryan Moore, Richard Hughes and Jim Crowley to the jockeys' crown previously.

"These guys can get on a run, nine winners in 12 days is nothing to this pair. It's who gets the best run and us agents picking the right horses.

"Nine is quite a lot to pull back against Oisin Murphy but I'm the type of person who thinks I can still do it. It's who gets the good run and it can go either way but it's doable."

'He thinks he can win on anything'

Asked how he will set about clawing back Murphy's advantage, Hind added: "I probably have a little bit of an advantage against Oisin's agent because I do my own handicapping. I've just got to make sure my handicapping system and the horses he rides are right.

"If we get the rub of the green and he doesn't, then it can be done, especially the way William is riding. He rode a Group 1 winner on Saturday and one on Sunday. Confidence builds confidence and he's in a high-confident mood at the right time.

"The way he's riding at the moment, I wouldn't care if he's on a 10-1 shot. He thinks he can win on anything and that's a good place to be in."

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