FOUR-TIME champion jockey Oisin Murphy has been confirmed for the ride on a 66-1 outsider with ‘a great turn of foot’ in the Arc de Triomphe.
Murphy rode the four-year-old colt to a £1.2million victory in Saudi Arabia earlier this year and will also ride him in September’s Prix Foy.
GettyOisin Murphy will be licking his lips at the prospect of two huge pay cheques aboard Byzantine Dream[/caption]
Murphy will renew his partnership with Japanese raider Byzantine Dream for two mega-money races later this year.
Trained by Tomoyasu Sakaguchi, Byzantine Dream has won more than £2.1million in his short career.
He is available at 66-1 for October’s Arc de Triomphe with several firms while others go as short as 20s.
Andrew Balding’s four-year-old filly Kalpana remains the 6-1 favourite for the Longchamp blockbuster.
Murphy’s big-race booking came as it was confirmed he had replaced Hollie Doyle as No1 rider to top owner Imad Alsagar.
The Nashwa owner removed trailblazing rider Doyle from all rides on his horses with immediate effect, leaving her ‘shocked’.
Murphy was fined £70,000 and given a 20-month ban after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol earlier this year.
He couldn’t speak highly enough of Byzantine Dream after their victory in Riyadh last February.
The pair saw off David O’Meara’s then 107-rated Epic Poet by just over a length in the Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap.
Speaking in the glow of victory, Murphy said: “
“Byzantine Dream broke OK but I thought there would be a reasonable amount of pace and they went quicker than I expected.
“He felt super under me yesterday morning, although I only had about two hours’ sleep when I got on him, but it was worth it.
“These are very famous colours (Kazumi Yoshida, owner) and it was great to wear them and get on him.
“He had a good run in the Japanese St Leger and that was good enough here.
“He has a great turn of foot and I never had to touch his mouth on the run around and that always helps.
“From the time they went by the winning post the first time, as long as I did everything right, from there he was going to win.”
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