Irish apprentice Oisin Murphy cracked it for his first win on his visit to Australia, getting the job done on Danny O’Brien’s Settler’s Way at Moonee Valley.
Feeling every point of the sticky 38-degree heat bearing down on Melbourne, Murphy positioned Settler’s Way ($8) behind early leader Subiaso in the Melbourne Signage Concepts (2040m) on Saturday.
As the pace quickened, Settler’s Way wore down Subiaso and then repelled a challenge from the favourite Duplicity Jones ($4) to win by a half neck.
The fast-finishing Just Reminiscing ($16) was a short half-head away third.
“We didn’t go mad and he got into a bit of a rhythm and I just kicked turning for home and he found plenty,” said Murphy.
Murphy, who has ridden 41 winners in England since getting his licence in June last year, had his first ride in Australia on December 12 at Kyneton.
His UK boss Andrew Balding, who won the Mackinnon Stakes with Side Glance, arranged for the 18-year-old apprentice to ride for O’Brien when the two trainers met during the spring carnival.
“I’m learning plenty at Flemington with the likes of Damien Oliver and Stephen Arnold,” said Murphy.
He is due to return to the UK next month but he said there are moves to extend his stay by another two to three weeks.
“It’s just brilliant to get a win here – it’s a great racing country,” he said.
“It’s very different the way you train horses but it’s important for me to learn these different things because I’d like to ride all over the world.”
When asked how he was handling the heat he said he had never felt 38-degree temperatures before today.
“I’ll try and get used to it,” he said.
Murphy had no luck in his other ride – Chateau Latour – which finished just out of the money fourth behind Vihanna Victory in the Chandler Macleod Handicap (2500m).
