“Beyond that, you look at races like the English Derby, which is seen as the historically prestigious race of them all. The Kentucky Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe would be on the next rung for me, but I’m very much in the corner of the Melbourne Cup.” The one thing that Moore’s top four races have in common is that they all have long histories, with the Derby first run in 1780, the Melbourne Cup in 1861, the Kentucky Derby in 1875 and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1920. They are also all recognised for their social impact beyond the race itself, which the 69-year-old admits is a crucial factor. “For me, the history and the prestige outweighs the money with the truly great races,” he says. “Races like the Melbourne Cup automatically come to mind when you think about that elite tier. They just hold that prestige that sets them apart from other races; they could be worth very little, but they are the races you want to win.” JOHN MOORE
THE EVEREST
THE JOCKEY At the other end of the career spectrum is Irish hoop Oisin Murphy, although he is another who has long held dreams of glory. It seems only yesterday that Murphy spent his northern winter in Australia as a wide-eyed 18-yearold apprentice. That summer, a mere six years ago, Murphy rode 13 winners, including the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington aboard the Nigel Blackiston-trained Outback Joe, a son of the mighty Let’s Elope. Now, Murphy is Europe’s tour de force, winning his first British champion jockey title in 2019 and adding races like the Japan Cup, the Dubai Turf, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes to his haul of 15 Group 1 wins. He has also returned to Australian shores for a runner-up finish to Magic Millions graduate Winx in her fourth and final Cox Plate victory, placing aboard Benbatl in 2018.
For the lad from Killarney, though, all roads lead to Epsom and to Longchamp. “Personally, I feel that the Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe are the most important races in the world,” he says. “I can’t split them either; to me, they hold equal significance. They define the best horses and create stallions, shaping the breed for the future. Both have captured me since I was a child.
OISIN MURPHY
“What stands out about both races for me is the prestige. There is only one Derby. There is only one Arc. There may be similar races elsewhere, but they are all aiming to replicate the original. For us in the UK and Ireland, all we dream about winning is the Derby and the Arc.”
features essentially define a great race. The lens may be different for each person depending on personal circumstances – like Magnier’s stallion focus or Moore’s family history – but in the end, the focus is the same.
It does seem that the attraction of history and prestige continues to win out over simply a big prize pool. However, prize money as an incentive is merely the first step towards attracting the best horses. From there, a narrative is built that elevates a race into the prestigious category, from which history naturally follows with the passing of time. These four
So what is the world’s greatest race? Throughout these conversations, many of the same races kept popping up – the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Derby, the Melbourne Cup, the Kentucky Derby, the Golden Slipper and The Everest all received more than one mention. Which comes out on top? That’s a debate that is set to continue in the years to come.
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