Oisin Murphy’s hurdles debut has been delayed after Thursday’s meeting at Wincanton was abandoned.

The three-times champion Flat jockey was due to have his first spin over obstacles aboard the Cian Collins-trained Lets Do This in the Danny McNab Bookmakers “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at the Somerset track.

However, the fixture has been called off due to significant rain, with clerk of the course Daniel Cooper able to make a decision well ahead of the planned 8am inspection.

Cooper is also clerk at Exeter, where a 7.30am precautionary inspection on raceday will determine the prospects for Friday’s planned card.

Market Rasen hosts Thursday’s National Hunt action, with the ground reported to be soft, with heavy places on the chase track.

Sunday’s card at Huntingdon, which is scheduled to feature the Grade Two Peterborough Chase, is subject to a 2pm inspection on Thursday.

Cian Collins could record a unique double in providing Oisin Murphy with his first ride over hurdles at Wincanton on Thursday.

Collins helped close friend Denis O’Regan complete the full set of a winner at all the Irish and UK National Hunt tracks recently when Fiveonefive won at Hereford. Not long after that, O’Regan retired from the saddle a happy man.

Now Collins is hoping to provide another of his friends with a noteworthy success as Murphy, a multiple champion Flat jockey in the UK and nephew of three-times Gold Cup winner Jim Culloty, switches codes briefly.

Murphy rides the Collins-trained Lets Do This in the Danny McNab Bookmakers “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

“It’s created a bit of a stir on the internet I’ve seen, so hopefully it all goes well,” said Collins.

“We had Denis ride the winner at Hereford for us so hopefully this works out just as well, it would be nice.

“I can’t imagine riding over hurdles will be an issue for Oisin, he’s a top-quality horseman, it shouldn’t be a problem at all.

“I think the horse has a very good chance, hopefully, and let’s hope the meeting is on. They’ve had a dry day today so hopefully it should be.”

Three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy is relishing the prospect of riding over hurdles for the first time at Wincanton on Thursday.

While most of the elite Flat riders are either enjoying some rare downtime during the winter, or plying their trade on foreign soil, Murphy will take up a new challenge in Dorset.

The 28-year-old is fresh from enjoying another successful campaign on the level, which yielded six Group One winners, including Classic success aboard Mawj in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May.

His mount on Thursday is the Cian Collins-trained Irish raider Lets Do This, who will contest the Danny McNab Bookmakers “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

Explaining his decision, the Killarney-born jockey said: “My uncle is Jim Culloty, who rode winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Best Mate), Grand National (Bindaree) and Irish Grand National (Timbera) and also trained a winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Lord Windermere).

“I worked with him in my teens, so jumps racing has always been part of my life and it has always been a burning ambition of mine to ride in a jumps race.

“I took out a jumps licence earlier in the year, as at one stage it looked like I might get a ride in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.

“The programme of Flat racing means it is unlikely that I will be able to ride over hurdles often, but this opportunity arose as I know the trainer and owner of Lets Do This well. It is only a fairly low-grade handicap hurdle on Thursday, so it seemed like a good place to start.

“I have been schooling horses to prepare, though have not yet ridden Lets Do This.”

Murphy is set to be well supported at Wincanton, adding: “Jim might be coming along to see me ride and my friend Denis O’Regan, who recently retired, might be travelling over from Ireland.

“I’ll be walking the course when I get to Wincanton to see what it’s like and will try and seek the advice of the jump jockeys riding there. I am really looking forward to the challenge.”

Several leading Flat jockeys have enjoyed success under both codes, perhaps most notably the late, great Lester Piggott, who partnered 20 winners over hurdles, including the 1954 Triumph Hurdle hero Prince Charlemagne.

More recently, the likes of Richard Hughes, Jamie Spencer and Tom Queally have combined the two disciplines and Murphy hopes to add his name to the list.

He said: “It would be an amazing feeling to get a winner over jumps and I’m not looking beyond Thursday at the moment – I just hope I don’t embarrass myself!”