Murtagh fights his corner

Johnny Murtagh defended his decision not to seize the initiative aboard Frozen Fire in yesterday’s ludicrous renewal of the betchronicle.com Ormonde Stakes at Chester.

The Irish rider finished last on Aidan O’Brien’s colt as the three-runner contest, won by Buccellati, deteriorated into a farcical crawl throughout the first three-quarters of a mile.

Murtagh has been criticised for having not been more positive with the Irish Derby winner, who was sent off the 8-11 favourite.

The jockey is adamant, however, that Frozen Fire would have disliked making the running.

He said: “It didn’t work very well for me. It turned into a bit of a sprint and probably didn’t suit my horse, going so slow and quickening up.

“I wanted to drop him in, I wanted to get him relaxed.

“He’s never led in his life and I don’t know how he would’ve coped.

“In my mind he’s not a real leader – he came from last in the Irish Derby.

“Being a Group One winner, I thought I had enough speed to deal with the two horses I was running against.

“A race like that wouldn’t have suited him,” Murtagh told Channel 4 Racing.