Murphy to miss top rides

RACING: Timmy Murphy will miss some big rides over Christmas after picking up a seven-day ban at Plumpton yesterday.

He will be unable to partner Martin Pipe's Our Vic or Therealbandit in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen's Day, and will also miss Beef Or Salmon's clash with Best Mate in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28th.

The 29-year-old was given the ban when the stewards took a dim view of the fact that he threw his whip at a horse in frustration after a fall.

Murphy, who has had a tremendous season so far on horses trained by Pipe and owned by David Johnson, was going well aboard chance ride Semi Precious in the two-and-a-half-mile Coral Casino Handicap Chase.

But the Paul Keane-trained six-year-old had jumped right on several occasions and he fell four out.

A frustrated Murphy got up and flung his whip at the rear of the horse with his left hand, striking it on the hind quarters as it galloped away.

The stewards found him guilty of "improper riding, in that Murphy had attempted to strike his horse when it got to its feet".

They suspended him for seven days, from December 26th to January 1st inclusive. Stipendiary steward Richard Westrop said: "We have found him guilty under the improper riding rule, which applies whether or not the jockey is mounted on the horse."

Murphy, who rode a double for Pipe during the afternoon on Locksmith and Royal Hector, was fuming afterwards and offered a terse "no comment".

The jockey's career has not been untroubled, but he has been in superb form since taking over on the Johnson horses from champion Tony McCoy, and he won the Paddy Power Gold Cup and Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup on Celestial Gold in the familiar blue and green colours.

The trainer recently stated: "We think Timmy can walk on water."

But the "dream team" had a hiccup on Saturday when Our Vic fell at the final fence when still in front in the bonusprint.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Meanwhile, connections of Baracouda are looking forward to him gracing Windsor at the weekend when he bids for a fourth victory in the Long Walk Hurdle.

The Grade One contest will be staged as the Royal Windsor Long Walk Hurdle, with Ascot under rubble as it continues a multi-million pound redevelopment. "It's all systems go for the weekend and Francois (Doumen) is happy with him," Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus, said yesterday.

Baracouda, with champion jockey Tony McCoy on board for the first time, made his seasonal debut at Newbury last month when he had three-quarters of a length to spare over Alan King's Crystal d'Ainay, who is set to re-oppose.

Stayers' Hurdle hero Iris's Gift could make his eagerly-awaited debut over fences at Windsor on Saturday. The Jonjo O'Neill-trained grey has been on the sidelines since finishing second to stable companion Rhinestone Cowboy at Punchestown in April, after sustaining two hairline fractures of the cannonbone.

But his name featured yesterday among the 19 entries for the Clewer Point Novices' Chase over two and half miles.

The seven-year-old, who beat Baracouda at Cheltenham last March, is one of three possibles for the Jackdaws Castle trainer, together with other former smart hurdlers Hasty Prince and Quazar.