1,000 Guineas: Oisin Murphy and Mawj pip favourite Tahiyra to victory at Newmarket
- Published
Oisin Murphy celebrates with trainer Saeed bin Suroor after riding Mawj to win the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket
Mawj claimed the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket and a Classic win for jockey Oisin Murphy after his long ban.
The Saeed bin Suroor-trained 9-1 shot pulled out in front of the field alongside 6-4 favourite Tahiyra, ridden by Chris Hayes, with a furlong to go.
But Murphy's mount battled to stay narrowly in front and ensure a first return to a Classic winner's enclosure for Bin Suroor since the 2009 St Leger.
Matilda Picotte (33-1) was third with Caernarfon (25-1) fourth.
Three-time champion jockey Murphy returned in February from a 14-month ban, which was imposed for breaches of Covid-19 rules and for twice being above the alcohol threshold.
The 1,000 Guineas success marks an another step on his road to redemption.
When asked what the win meant following his recent troubles, Murphy told ITV Racing there was "nothing better", adding: "To win it is unbelievable."
It was Murphy's second Classic victory after wining the 2,000 Guineas on Kameko in 2020.
The race also saw Billy Loughnane, 17, become the youngest jockey to ride in an English Classic since a 15-year-old Lester Piggott featured in the 1951 Derby.
Loughnane partnered 200-1 outsider Sweet Harmony to finish 14th, just seven months after beginning his riding career.
Can you answer these game show questions? Test yourself in this fun quiz
Who killed Michaela McAreavey on her honeymoon? The tragic murder of an Irish sporting icon's daughter reinvestigated
