Why does Ballydoyle-Coolmore have such a problem holding on to a number one jockey?
Whatever one’s opinion of Murtagh, you couldn’t but admire the manner in which he got the retaliation in first, so to speak.
It must have torn his heart out to decide that the biggest job in European racing was no longer for him.
He had yearned for it and, perhaps, may have thought the chance had passed him by when first Jamie Spencer and then Kieren Fallon were preferred .
Fallon’s much publicised problems ensured there was a vacancy again, however, and in early 2008 Murtagh finally got the nod.
He had battered his own alcohol and weight demons into submission and when the call came, then that had to be one of the greatest days his life.
And there was every reason to believe that this was a marriage, between Murtagh and Aidan O’Brien, truly made in heaven and guaranteed for the long haul.
After all here were two strong family men, rearing a bunch of young kids between them, who appeared to have so much in common.
And the body language, at least for the first two years, was impressive and offered no hint of what was to come.
So what went wrong? Well, the first indication that something wasn’t quite right came with the knowledge Murtagh was no longer required to ride work at Ballydoyle. That was puzzling.
And the situation then became increasingly complicated as Aidan’s son, Joseph, challenged for the apprentice championship.
Certain things happened which had to annoy Murtagh intensely. Take Beethoven, partnered by Joseph, winning a Group 3 at Leopardstown in August.
Murtagh was at the meeting, but had no ride in the contest, and Joseph, because it was a Group race, was unable to utilise his claim.
That same evening Joseph partnered Why for his father in a fillies maiden. Why was a heavily- backed favourite and won, with Murtagh riding third placed Chattel House for David Wachman.
Then there was the Monday of the Listowel Festival in September. Murtagh went to Listowel that day for just one ride, Brittany, for O’Brien in a nursery.
O’Brien had two other runners in the race, the favourite, Treasure Beach (Joseph), and the second favourite, Pirateer (Seamus Heffernan).
Effectively, Murtagh was on the O’Brien third string, although you could argue Pirateer was a no-go area anyway, on the basis he wouldn’t have been able to do the weight of 8-7.
In any case Brittany trailed home seventh of seven and Murtagh had to have left Listowel that afternoon asking himself serious questions.
And you also had Navan in October when O’Brien had four winners and Murtagh was only aboard one of them. Joseph teamed up with two and Seamus Heffernan rode the other.
All of this had to be eating away at Murtagh and, when he went to Churchill Downs last weekend, to ride four no-hopers for Ballydoyle, he had lots of time to think.
Clearly, he was no longer happy with a dream job which had, apparently, now turned into a nightmare.
And when you're not happy, and can afford to tell your employers to stuff it, then there is really only one road to travel. On Monday, Murtagh, aided by his long-time friend and agent, Eddie Byrne, took swift and decisive action.
His resignation certainly seems to have genuinely caught O’Brien, John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor unawares.
You would have to wonder if any of the four tried to talk him round and, if they did, then were obviously wasting their time.
Why does Ballydoyle-Coolmore have such a problem holding on to a number one jockey? Why, for instance, did Michael Kinane leave in 2004, when at the peak of his powers?
And why did Jamie Spencer, after just one season at Ballydoyle, throw in the towel and simply walk away.
Ballydoyle has a policy of not commenting on speculation and, given that it has such a high profile and is the medium of constant rumour and counter-rumour , that is perfectly understandable.
But there is an odd occasion when you just have to react and bury a story, before it gets completely out of hand.
If there was truly no substance whatsoever to all of the tales doing the rounds, regarding Murtagh’s future at Ballydoyle, then they could have been stifled in a single statement to the press.
By staying silent all they did was add fuel to the fire. Mind you, if the intention was in fact to get rid of Murtagh at a time of their own choosing then, of course, silence was actually the only game in town.
