Jumps Stable Tours OLLY MURPHY 2021–2022
Olly Murphy hopes his young and exciting squad can propel him into the “big time” as he enters his fifth season at Warren Chase Stables.
The 30-year-old has a strong hand in the novice hurdle division with a number of talented bumper winners, as well as more established stars, such as Brewin’upastorm, winner of the Grade 2 National Spirit Hurdle, and Itchy Feet, who was third in the Betway Bowl at Aintree.
“The highlight last season was Brewin’upastorm winning for the first time at Graded level,” says Murphy, who had 80 winners last season.
“We have a strong team of novice hurdlers and it’s an exciting time of year for a young trainer hoping to make that step up to the big time – we’re just looking for the next star performer to stand out.”
Total prize-money 2020-21 £634,998
Allavina
Six-year-old mare
Getaway (sire) – One Cool Kate (dam)
Owner: C Boultbee-Brooks
Form figures: 421101-
Racing Post Rating: 134h; Official Rating: 135h
She could become a Graded mare over fences. I don’t know what went wrong at the Cheltenham Festival but she bounced back at Perth in April. We’re going to start her in a beginners’ chase.
Barony Legends
5g Yeats – Monty’s Sister
Bective Stud
2-3
RPR 107b OR –
I thought he’d win his bumper at Southwell but the ground was too good for him and it turned into a sprint. He’s a big, staying horse who will start in a maiden hurdle over two and a half miles.
Bombs Away
5g Westerner – Miss Greinton
Mrs J, Mrs M V & Mr J P Magnier & Mrs P Shanahan
2-
RPR 102b OR –
He’s a brother to the smart Ribble Valley and was arguably an unlucky loser in his bumper. He was very keen but I was surprised at how well he hit the line. We’ll start him off in a maiden hurdle.
Brewin’upastorm
8g Milan – Daraheen Diamond
Mrs Barbara Hester
U/65115-
RPR 158h OR 156h
He’ll start off in a conditions race at Aintree over two and a half miles in November before going back to Fontwell for the National Spirit, which he won last season, and on to the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle. He lost his confidence over fences and it took me a while to get him back. He’s very good on his day but needs to put it all together.
Chanmpagnesuperover
6g Jeremy – Meldrum Hall
McNeill Family & Patrick and Scott Bryceland
24127P-
RPR 136h OR 134h
It was a mistake running him at Aintree after his run in the Albert Bartlett and I never had him quite right last season. He’s schooled well and will start off in a novice chase in the next fortnight.
Chosen Port
5m Well Chosen – Despute
Bective Stud
1/263-
RPR 104b OR –
I couldn’t believe I didn’t win a bumper with her. We’ll start her in a maiden hurdle over two or two and a half miles. She shows plenty of talent at home and is capable of winning lots of mares’ races.
Contemplatemyfaith
5g Califet – Liss A Chroi
Owners Group 087
33-
RPR 96b OR –
He ran well in a bumper over two and a half miles in Ireland for Sam Curling and will gallop all day long. He wants a big track and will be a good staying horse in time. We’ll start him in a maiden hurdle.
Copperless
6g Kayf Tara – Presenting Cooper
Aiden Murphy & Alan Peterson
3/211F-1
RPR 139h OR 141h
Unfortunately, he’ll miss the first part of the season as he’s got a small hairline fracture. He looked very good when winning the Swinton Hurdle in May and is on a reasonable mark. He’ll come back in the spring and I’d love to aim him at the County Hurdle in March.
Corey’s Courage
5m Dunaden – Valdas Queen
A P Racing
1-
RPR 105b OR –
She won a bumper on her first start, which was surprising as she was a bit of a late developer. She’s schooled well and wants a bit of slow ground. We’re going to start her off in a mares’ maiden hurdle.
Doctor Ken
5g Doctor Dino – Kendoretta
Mrs Diana L Whateley
241-
RPR 108b OR –
He wasn’t really a bumper horse but still won all the same. He jumps well and will start in a maiden hurdle over two and a half miles at Aintree on Sunday. He should develop into a gorgeous chaser.
Dr TJ Eckleburg
3g Lawman – Imtidaad
Dominic Burke & Tim Syder
512631
RPR 77f OR 73f
He’s only just come to me from David O’Meara. He was a good winner on the Flat over a mile and a quarter. I’m looking forward to getting him schooled up as he could be a nice juvenile hurdler.
Dark horse
Duke Of Rockingham
5g Kayf Tara – Our Jess
Mrs Diana L Whateley
7-
RPR 94b OR –
He ran adequately in a bumper at Newbury on his first start. He’s had time to mature after a few little issues last year. He works like a really nice horse and could be one to keep on the right side of.
Enemy Coast Ahead
7g Malinas – Penang Princess
McNeill Family
1/2/1116-
RPR 131h OR 127
He’s got a lot of ability but is very hard to train as he’s had problems with his knees. He’ll start in a handicap hurdle over two and a half miles in a month or so and should be up to winning a nice race.
Foxinthebox
5g Presenting – Forces Of Destiny
Adrian Butler
2-2
RPR 110b OR –
He was unlucky not to win a bumper at Aintree in May. He jumps very well – he was second in a point-to-point – and wants two and a half miles. He should develop into a nice novice hurdler this season.
Getaway Luv
6g Getaway – Ut Love
C Boultbee-Brooks
21312-7
RPR 120h OR 124h
He disappointed on his last start and we’re going to take him novice handicap chasing. He works like he has plenty of ability and we’re hoping going over fences will bring out a bit more improvement.
Go Dante
5g Kayf Tara – Whoops A Daisy
Mrs Barbara Hester
1-
RPR 118b OR –
I think the world of him. He’s in at Cheltenham on Friday and if the ground is right, he might start there. He won his bumper really well, shows loads at home and can make up into a really smart hurdler.
Gunsight Ridge
6g Midnight Legend – Grandma Griffiths
Mrs Diana L Whateley
4/21232-
RPR 127h OR 127
He won a maiden hurdle at Doncaster last year and ran well in a few handicaps. He should be an awful lot better chasing than hurdling.
Hardi Du Mesnil
4g Masterstroke – Athena Du Mesnil
Robert Waley-Cohen
1-
RPR – OR –
He’s going to go to Newbury for an introductory hurdle in December. He was impressive in France on his sole start over hurdles. He’s tough to place as he’s not a novice but the form of his win is solid.
Hunters Call
11g Medaaly – Accordiontogelica
Holloway, Clarke, Black
144335-
RPR 141h OR 139h
He’s been a star for me and will be aimed at handicap hurdles over two and a half or three miles. It would be special to win a nice race as he gave me my first Graded victory at Ascot in December 2017.
I K Brunel
7g Midnight Legend – Somethinaboutmolly
McNeill Family and Prodec Networks Ltd
1/23807-
RPR 137c OR 129c
He’ll switch back to fences and has plenty of ability. He’ll start off in a novice or handicap chase in the coming weeks and will hopefully get his career back on track after disappointing last season.
Itchy Feet
7g Cima De Triomphe – Maeva Candas
Kate & Andrew Brooks
U/32253-
RPR 160c OR 153c
He goes to Aintree on Sunday for the Old Roan Chase and he’s in really good form. Laura Collett, the Olympic gold medallist, has been coming into the yard a few days a week and has done loads of work on his jumping. He ran well in the race last year and it’s not easy mixing it with the big boys at the top level but he’s a good horse on his day.
Jett
10g Flemensfirth – La Noire
Robert Waley-Cohen
78P068-
RPR 163c OR 145c
He ran respectably in the Grand National last year and will be aimed at the race again. He won’t be an easy horse to place but he will be able to run in the valuable veterans’ races before heading to Aintree.
Lord Of Kerak
6g Martaline – Mille Et Une
Mrs Diana L Whateley
221826-
RPR 132h OR 127h
He’s got an awful lot of ability but his jumping was an issue last year. Laura has done a lot of work with this lad. Soft ground and two and a half miles is imperative and some of his form last season is good.
Lupus Regem
5g Iffraaj – Miss Villefranche
Mrs Diana L Whateley
1-
RPR 113b OR –
He was purchased by Graham and Diana Whateley after winning on his debut. His jumping needed a bit of work but he gallops like he’s got plenty of ability and we’re going to start him in a maiden hurdle.
Mackelduff
5g Martaline – Evitta
Tommy Elphick & Mary Shalvey
43-1
RPR 116h OR 115h
He won a maiden hurdle on his last start and, while he lacks some experience heading into handicap company, he’s on a decent mark.
Nickolson
7g No Risk At All – Incorrigible
Tim Syder
12/2685-
RPR 131h OR 131h
He’s had issues but has schooled well over fences and will start off in the next couple of weeks. He’s a lot better than he’s shown so far.
No Risk Des Flo
6g No Risk At All – Marie Royale
Mrs Diana L Whateley
41215-7
RPR 128h OR 128
He had a good season last term and has matured. He was only seventh when starting back in a handicap hurdle but he’s well capable of winning a nice race off this mark.
Notre Pari
7g Jeremy – Glynn Approach
JP McManus
F1/6533-
RPR 135h OR 135h
He had a disappointing campaign on the whole. He’s got some good form over hurdles but has yet to put it together tackling fences.
Restandbethankful
5g Califet – Persian Forest
McNeill Family & Patrick and Scott Bryceland
122-116
RPR 123h OR 125h
He ran okay on his first start at Chepstow when he lacked experience. He works like he’s on a decent mark and that run will have stood him in good stead. He’s capable of winning on nice ground over hurdles.
Sure Touch
5g Yeats – Liberthine
Robert Waley-Cohen
10-
RPR 108b OR –
He ran in the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree and is a lot better than he showed then. He will start off in a maiden hurdle in a month’s time. He’s from a good family and should make into a nice novice hurdler.
Tamar Bridge
6g Jeremy – Mise En Place
McNeill Family and Prodec Networks Ltd
131-
RPR 129h OR 128h
He’s done nothing wrong and I’d love to get another novice hurdle run into him before the end of the month. He stays well, loves soft ground and will hopefully become a really nice staying hurdler. We would need plenty of rain for him to run at Cheltenham on Friday.
Star performer
Thomas Darby
8g Beneficial – Silaoce
Mrs Diana L Whateley
13/3303-
RPR 157h OR 156h
He’ll start off in either the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby or the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury. We finally worked out he’s a three-miler and he ran a career-best when chasing home Thyme Hill and Roksana in the Stayers Hurdle at Aintree. He can compete at the highest level and has untapped potential at the trip.
Thunder Rock
5g Shirocco – La Belle Sauvage
McNeill Family & Ian Dale
2/31-2
RPR 116b OR –
He’s got plenty of ability and won a bumper on very soft ground at Exeter last year. He’s a likeable type who should win plenty of races.
Washington
5g Westerner – Present Leader
Tim Syder
11-
RPR 126b OR –
He won two bumpers and he’s ready to start off in a maiden hurdle. He could take high rank in the novice hurdle division this season.
Wolfspear
5g Fame And Glory – Espresso Lady
Mrs Diana L Whateley
1
RPR 108b OR –
He won very well on his debut at Huntingdon. The form has worked out well and the runner-up, First Street, has won twice over hurdles. He’ll start off in a maiden hurdle in two or three weeks.
For the future…
We’ve hopefully got a strong team of bumper horses again, including Dominic Fault, a gorgeous son of Camelot, and Dr Seb, who is sharp.
I’m also looking forward to running Rambo T, who ran well in two Irish point-to-points; Butch, a Kayf Tara who will start off in a bumper at Christmas; and Learntalot, a lovely big chasing type who has just taken a bit of time and could become a nice novice hurdler.
Two for the tracker
Champagnesuperover should improve over fences and Go Dante has been showing us all the right signs at home.
Expert view
There aren’t many trainers who bag nearly 50 winners in their first season with a licence, but Olly Murphy did that and unfortunately that’s made him a marked man with the bookmakers ever since.
When Murphy landed a Grade 3 handicap hurdle with Hunters Call at Ascot in 2017 that was his first runner in a race worth more than £20,000 to the winner, yet he won easily and was well backed.
Since then it’s been hard to eke out a profit following his runners as the layers have him on their side, and a blind bet on all his entries last season would have resulted in heavy losses.
Nobody bets blind these days, though, and a more selective approach can yield profits. Murphy has twice hit a better than 30 per cent strike-rate in January, while he has a 50 per cent strike-rate in non-handicaps at Leicester and is 8-17 in non-handicaps at Ayr, but 0-17 in handicaps.
He will doubtless look to improve his Cheltenham record (2-42) and bag a first winner at Newbury (0-26), but it’s still early days for a yard that’s going to land many more big prizes.
One might come on Sunday courtesy of Itchy Feet in the Old Roan Chase. If the intensive work they have done on his jumping bears fruit, he certainly has it in him off a mark of 153.
One youngster to look out for could be Hardi Du Mesnil. It’s not going to be easy for a four-year-old out of novice company after one run, but he showed a good attitude in winning in commanding fashion at Pau on his debut, especially as he was down on his nose three out.
That was a deep enough race (33-length tenth won a handicap off 120 at Fontwell on Wednesday for Gary Moore) and he did well considering the state of the ground.