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Murphy’s law bringing success for Ferdy
With David Thorpe
FERDY Murphy is the sort of trainer who will never be fashionable but
has, in his own quiet way, developed into one of the top trainers in Britain
and Ireland.
The Corkman had early dreams of being a jockey and rode 30 winners before
weight problems forced him to quit the saddle and instead become a trainer.
For more than a decade he served as a private trainer — which
means that his name didn’t appear on racecards — to the Durkan
family in Ireland and the Hubbard and Green families in England before
setting-up in his own right at the start of the 1990s.
With the range of contacts he had built up as a private trainer Murphy
found it easy to establish himself at a base in North Yorkshire but while
he always had plenty of horses and small race winners it is only in the
past season or so that he has become a major player and he is likely to
have contenders for the Gold Cup and the Grand National in the coming
years.
Aces Four and L’Antartique have helped Ferdy enjoy massive success
in recent seasons and with Graham Lee installed as stable jockey further
success is sure to come his way this season.
The first month of the new jumps racing season is almost complete and
eagle-eyed punters will have picked up plenty of hints.
A very early Grand National hint came with the recent success of champion
trainer Paul Nicholls horse Mr Pointment whose recent victory marked him
out as a contender for some major prizes later in the season.
The days of Hardy Eustace being a contender for the Champion Hurdle are
gone but his recent victories have shown that he could have a big future
in the long-distance races and the versatile 10-year-old is certainly
a horse to follow in the coming months.
Another horse with much to look forward to later in the season is Alan
King’s Katchit. The winner of one of the top Novice Hurdle races
last season looks like he could be the horse to be on when the Champion
Hurdle rolls around in March.
Others to watch out for in the coming weeks include the Jessica Harrington-trained
Sandymount Earl which is owned by Rolling Stones’ guitarist Ronnie
Wood, Peter Bowen’s Football Crazy, Serabad who won very easily
recently and is going to run up a sequence and Tony Martin’s The
Royal Dub is also capable of picking up a win.
This week’s horses to watch…
Thursday: 12:50 Market Rasen
TIP: Royal Rationale
Juvenile hurdles are always tricky affairs to call at this stage of the
year but this horse has shown a greater level of consistency than most
of his peers so he should record the first victory of his career.
Thursday: 1:20 Market Rasen
TIP: Option Money
Made a bright start to his career but has drifted away since, however
this looks like a poorer race than the one he won, so he should go close.
Thursday: 1:50 Market Rasen
TIP: Greenfell
This horse has been one of the most consistent operators in British racing
over the past number of months but he hasn’t won for a while. He
is due a win and might get it here.
Friday: 12:30 Exeter
TIP: Mounsier Villez
This horse came second on his most recent run, a sign that he is starting
to come down to a more realistic handicap mark, so he should go very close
here.
Friday: 1:00 Exeter
TIP: Risk Runner
Alan King is now firmly established as one of Britain’s premier
trainers and the Barbury Castle handler can record another victory here
with this excellent performer.
Friday: 2.10pm Exeter
TIP: Blaze Ahead
This is a race lacking any really outstanding performer however this horse
has reached a certain level of consistency and might just have enough
quality to claim another victory in this race.
RACEMEETINGS
Wednesday: Ayr, Catterick, Plumpton, Kempton.
Thursday: Leicester, Market Rasen, Wincanton, Wolverhampton.
Friday: Exeter, Sandown, Lingfield, Wolverhampton.
Saturday: Chepstow, Sandown, Wetherby, Lingfield, Wolverhampton.
Sunday: Kelso, Warwick, Lingfield. |
