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Monday’s racing round-up brings the news of champion jockey Oisin Murphy riding over jumps for the first time on Boxing Day…
Recently crowned British champion jockey on the flat for a fourth time, Oisin Murphy will swap riding on the level for a crack over jumps at Wincanton on Boxing Day. The 29-year-old has recently been riding at Mumbai in India but will head to Somerset to partner Neil Mulholland's Ike Sport in a Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle qualifier. Murphy had attempted to make his debut over hurdles at Wincanton last December, but the fixture was abandoned.
The James Owen-trained Opec will attempt to make it four wins on the bounce over hurdles when she bids to land the Grade 2 Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow on Friday. Owned by the Gredley family, James Owen's daughter of Sea The Moon has won all three of her outings over hurdles since falling when seemingly looking in full command on her hurdling debut at Market Rasen in the summer.
All eleven meetings across the UK and Ireland look set to go ahead on Boxing Day. Kempton will play host to the feature Grade 1 King George VI Chase, while on the same card Constitution Hill makes his eagerly awaited return to action when taking on Lossiemouth in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle. The Grade 1 Formby Novices' Hurdle will take place at Aintree (13.05) and in Ireland Leopardstown will stage the Grade 1 Long Distance Novice Chase (14.20).