International Gold Cup, redux, for Seeyouattheevent
Submitted by: Betsy Burke Parker
Phone: 540-364-2929
Email Address: betsyp(at)crosslink.net
Date Added: 10/18/2009
Timber star shines at Great Meadow
THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA – Freelance jockey Jeff Murphy is used to getting late calls for racing – playing second fiddle has become, well, second nature.
Not that he minds. Especially when it pays off like Saturday.
At the Oct. 17 International Gold Cup races at Great Meadow, the Irish native scored the daily double, winning both featured jump races, highlighted by victory in the featured eponymous timber stakes. Murphy substituted for trainer Jack Fisher's regular jockey Willie Dowling, who was off at the same day's Far Hills, N.J. Races. Thusly it was Murphy who handled Great Meadow founder Nick Arundel's Seeyouattheevent in his three-plus length score in the $50,000 Virginia headliner, run on over a rain-drenched course on the chilly fall afternoon. Winner of the the 2007 Cup with another substitute jockey, that year Robbie Walsh handled the reins, Seeyouattheevent gets full credit from Murphy for being ambivalent about who's aboard.
“Willie (Dowling) told me the horse is really, really careful,” Murphy said of this, his biggest victory since moving to Virginia from his native County Wexford, Ireland in 2001. “He figures (striding to the fences) himself. You're basically letting him do his job.
“I watched his video from the spring race last night,” Murphy explained the homework he did to help guarantee the winning ride on the horse he'd never ridden before. “You can see right in the video he jumps really well,” even though he pulled up in the four-mile Virginia Cup in May.
Though Murphy had every reason to feel confident, the field of 10 was deep in talent. Winner in May over the same course, Salmo prepped on the flat earlier this fall. International Cup defender Bubble Economy, 2008 winner, was second to Salmo this spring, and the tough gelding – stablemate to Seeyouattheevent at trainer Fisher's Maryland operation – looked to relish the half-mile break in distance of the 3 ½-mile race. Locally-owned and -trained Erin Go Bragh was close third to those two in the spring, and the New Zealand-bred had won his fall prep Oct. 3 at Glenwood Park. Tennessee shipper Woodmont finished third in last year's International – with Murphy aboard, and second in the '07 running, also with Murphy up. Seeyouattheevent pulled up in the Virginia Cup in May, but he'd won the 2007 International.
Murphy settled Seeyouattheevent off the early pace of leaders Incaseyouraminer and Music To My Ears. He took the shortest route most of the way, noting that though he “sat in behind trying to stay out of trouble” on the pace early, that there were “plenty of places to make lengths down on the inside. Especially to the water jump, down on the inner is a place you want to be.” The pivotal water jump, still four fences and a half-mile from home, was where Seeyouattheevent nosed into contention, edging past late leader Uppercut and taking command down along the inside of the slick final bend.
“It was slippery on the turn-in,” Murphy said of the sodden course, drenched with rain Friday night all the way through Gold Cup weekend. “Both bends are hard to ride, but that (last one) sort of falls away from you,” making it hard for tired, pressured horses to keep their footing, especially on the soft footing they found Saturday.
Murphy held Seeyouattheevent steady over the final two obstacles, putting three lengths between him and second-place finisher Uppercut. When stewards found that rider Jake Chalfin had gone to the wrong side – the outside – of a beacon during the race, Uppercut was disqualified, giving second to Bubble Economy. Shady Valley moved up to third, with Woodmont fourth.
Eight-year-old bay Seeyouattheevent is a son of Event Of The Year, himself a millionaire son of Seattle Slew, out of Return Flight, an English-bred daughter of multiple champion Generous.
Murphy counted the score as a late birthday present – he turned 29 on Wednesday. He grew up in the southeast of Ireland riding in the local pony club, foxhunting and show jumping, all sports he said “helped him really develop an eye” for gaging the take-off distance to a jump. “I spent every hour I could riding horses,” Murphy said. Though his mother had ridden point-to-points as a younger woman, his father was a dairy farmer without any connection to the steeplechasing game. But Murphy knew early that this was his destiny.
“I remember driving with my dad for an entrance exam for a boarding school” at age 12 or so, Murphy recalled with a chuckle. “I told my dad on that trip he really didn't need to bother with this since I was going to leave school anyway to be a jockey. He didn't think that was very funny.”
Murphy stayed in school, but, growing up during the years when legendary champions Desert Orchid and Dawn Run were racing, “I was glued to the racing, all the time.”
Murphy began his career riding as an amateur, then worked for champion trainer Willie Mullins at Carlow before coming to Virginia to work for retired jockey-turned-trainer Jimmy Day, another native of Wexford with family connections to the Murphys.
“I came over here in 2001 for three months,” Murphy said. “I'm still here.” Winning his first race at Old Dominion the very first day he suited up for American 'chasing, Murphy felt like he'd found his calling at last.
Murphy also handled Ann Stern's Major Malibu to win his second-straight Steeplethon. A unique race over a variety of obstacles, including timber, hurdles, an open ditch, stone wall and a water splash, the Steeplethon turned into a jumping clinic by Major Malibu, another from Fisher's talented stable pool.
The Universal Sports cable television show featuring the Gold Cup races along with the championship Far Hills, N.J. Races, were a success, according to officials. The five-hour live show went off without a hitch, even with rainy weather at both meets. Wagering on the races was canceled, however, when gambling site Woodbine pulled out when the New Jersey Racing Commission grumbled about the lack of state licensing for 'chase participants, quelling the pari-mutuel aspect of the races.
Complete results plus a link to a replay of the live Universal show are online at www.NationalSteeplechase.com.
Results
First Race
$15,000. Maiden Hurdle. About 2 1/2 miles over National Fences
Order
Horse
Wgt
Rider
Owner
Trainer
Purse
1
Sonic Charm
154
Diana Gillam
W. Russell Cline
Donald Yovanovich
$9,000
2
Country Cousin
154
Carl Rafter
Oakwood Stable
Julie Gomena
$2,700
3
Bullet Dancer
154
William McCarthy
S. Bruce Smart, Jr.
Jimmy Day
$1,500
4
Meshwaar
154
Nick Carter
Aylor Racing Stable
William Aylor, Jr.
$750
5
Ouagadougou
154
Jeff Murphy
Northfield Farm, LLC
Edward Mulligan
$600
6
Sermonize
*149
Darren Nagle
Irvin S. Naylor
Desmond Fogarty
$450
7
Delarun
*143
Jacob Roberts
Move Up Stable
Katherine N. McKenna
8
Honour Emblem
*149
Will Haynes
Memory Lane Farm
Michael Berryman
9
Lenny
154
Michael Cooney
Hilltop Farm
Diana L. McClure
F
Saber Song
146
Tom Foley
Landslide Farm
Cyril Murphy
F
Mighty Valdiar
***154
Sam Cockburn
Bay Cockburn
Bay Cockburn
PU
Hot Rize
*149
Russell Haynes
Anne O. Haynes
Anne O. Haynes
PU
Mr. Hendry
146
James Slater
William Meister
William Meister
PU
True Blue Fingers
*148
Barry Duncan
EMO Stables
Doug Fout
Sonic Charm raced close to the pace, challenged at the last fence and proved best in the stretch.
Winning Margin: 1 1/4 Winning Time: 5:02 2/5 Turf: good
Sonic Charm, b. g. 2004, by Concorde's Tune - Unique Charm, by Pentelicus. Bred by Ocala Stud Farm (Fl)
Second Race
$25,000. The Steeplethon Timber Steeplechase. About 3 miles over the Steeplethon Course
Order
Horse
Wgt
Rider
Owner
Trainer
Purse
1
Major Malibu
160
Jeff Murphy
Mrs. Henry F. Stern
Jack Fisher
$15,000
2
Swimming River
160
Mark Watts
Joseph K. Kornfeind
Paul A. Rowland
$4,500
3
Won Wild Bird
*149
Will Haynes
Anne O. Haynes
Anne O. Haynes
$2,500
4
Endless Mountain
*155
Jacob Roberts
Indian Run Farm
Mrs. D. M. Smithwick
$1,250
5
Regality
*155
Nick Carter
Edmond Hudon & Dark Star Thoroughbreds
Nick Larkin
$1,000
F
Haddix
160
Carl Rafter
Perry J. Bolton
Katherine N. McKenna
PU
Big Bad Joe
160
James Slater
William Meister
William Meister
Major Malibu was never far back, took the lead with one more time to go around and easily held off Swimming River.
Winning Margin: 8 1/2 Winning Time: 6:28 Turf: good
Major Malibu, b. g. 2004, by Malibu Moon - Major Barbara, by Salutely. Bred by Tim Durborow (Pa)
Third Race
$10,000. International Fegentri World Cup Flat Amateur Open Flat. About 1 3/4 miles on the Turf
Order
Horse
Wgt
Rider
Owner
Trainer
Purse
1
Slaney Rock (Ire)
145
Michele Penman
Hickory Tree Stable
Simon Hobson
$6,000
2
Duck Hunt
145
Muiris Hinchion
Matthew Klein
Jimmy Day
$1,800
3
Vine Hill
137
Paul Madden
Whitewood Stable, Inc.
Richard L. Valentine
$1,000
4
Jimtown
145
Jacob Roberts
Julia Thieriot
Mairead Carr
$500
5
Organizer
150
Juan Picon
Majesty Stud, LLC
Paul A. Rowland
$400
6
Scandalizer
134
Thibault Marlin
Peter Hitchen
Mrs. D. M. Smithwick
$300
7
Pasagai (Fr)
145
Andrea Hierer
Irvin S. Naylor
Desmond Fogarty
8
Heir Apparent (Saf)
145
Gina O'Callaghan
Manown Kisor, Jr.
Michael Berryman
9
Changuirongo
147
Mario Bartti
Hilltop Farm
Diana L. McClure
10
Fifty Five
145
Letitia Denault
Arthur W. Arundel
Jack Fisher
11
Harry's Crown
145
Bruce Daley
Aylor Racing Stable
William Aylor, Jr.
12
Not For Love's Boy
135
Wendy Gibson
Cherry Knoll Farm
Janet E. Elliot
13
Archers Bow
152
Melanie Williams
William Meister
William Meister
14
Silver Man Can
145
Diana Gillam
Over Creek Stables LLC
Julie Gomena
LR
Independant George
145
Maria Moneta
EMO Stables
Ernest M. Oare
LR
Gatornation
146
Joshua Moore
Katherine N. McKenna
Katherine N. McKenna
Slaney Rock was never far off the pace, took the lead in the stretch and held off Duck Hunt.
Winning Margin: 1/2 Winning Time: 3:34 1/5 Turf: good
Slaney Rock (Ire), b. g. 2005, by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) - Dress Code (Ire), by Barathea (Ire). Bred by K. Molloy (Ire)
Fourth Race
$20,000. The Old Dominion Turf Championship Virginia Bred/Sired Flat. About 1 1/4 miles on the Turf
Order
Horse
Wgt
Rider
Owner
Trainer
Purse
1
Love Colony
160
Jake Chalfin
Debra E. Kachel
Ricky Hendriks
$12,000
2
Secret Style
157
Jacob Roberts
Debra E. Kachel
Ricky Hendriks
$3,600
3
I'm A Hokie
160
Jeff Murphy
Gordon C. Keys
Simon Hobson
$2,000
4
Roseville Run
160
William McCarthy
Eric J. Myer
Jimmy Day
$1,000
5
Class Band
137
Tom Foley
Mede Cahaba Stable
Lilith Boucher
$800
6
Seeking Allie
157
Diana Gillam
Lady Olivia at North Cliff LLC
Simon Hobson
$600
7
River Magic
160
Carl Rafter
Thomas M. Beach, Jr.
Thomas M. Beach, Jr.
8
Smartest One
160
James Slater
Ellen Horner
Mairead Carr
9
That Dream Cat
152
Natasha Aylor
Aylor Racing Stable
William Aylor, Jr.
Love Colony was reserved off the pace, saved ground on the final turn while moving into contention and took the lead in the stretch.
Winning Margin: 1 1/4 Winning Time: 2:22 4/5 Turf: good
Love Colony, dk.b./br. g. 2004, by Not For Love - Soaring Colony, by Pleasant Colony. Bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, III (Va)
Fifth Race
$50,000. The International Gold Cup Timber Stakes. About 3 1/2 miles over Timber
Order
Horse
Wgt
Rider
Owner
Trainer
Purse
1
Seeyouattheevent
155
Jeff Murphy
Arthur W. Arundel
Jack Fisher
$30,000
2
Bubble Economy
165
James Slater
Arcadia Stable
Jack Fisher
$9,000
3
Shady Valley
160
Russell Haynes
Anne O. Haynes
Anne O. Haynes
$5,000
4
Woodmont
155
Will Haynes
Jubilee Stables
Ted Thompson
$2,500
5
Salmo
160
Darren Nagle
Irvin S. Naylor
Desmond Fogarty
$2,000
F
Bon Caddo
165
Jacob Roberts
H. Bruce Fenwick
Dawn P. Williams
LR
Music To My Ears (Ire)
160
George Hundt, Jr.
Anna Stable
Richard L. Valentine
OC
Uppercut
150
Jake Chalfin
Gum Tree Stables LLC
Larry Ensor
PU
Incaseyouraminer
160
Benjamin Swope
Benjamin C. Swope
Benjamin C. Swope
PU
Erin Go Bragh (NZ)
165
Carl Rafter
Magalen O. Bryant
Doug Fout
Seeyouattheevent rallied from off the pace to within striking distance with a half mile to run, joined Uppercut at the last, landed with the lead and won going away. Uppercut finished second but was disqualified for going off course.
Winning Margin: 3 1/4 Winning Time: 7:11 Turf: good
Seeyouattheevent, b. g. 2001, by Event Of The Year - Return Flight, by Generous (Ire). Bred by David H. Wade (Md)
By Betsy Burke Parker
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