Photo by Edward Whitaker, Racing Post
Even the most meteoric rises have the odd bump along the way, but Olly Murphy has come back remarkably strongly from the lull that affected his team in late November and December.
Only once since sending out his first winner in July 2017 had Murphy had a month with such a poor strike-rate as December, but 2020 has seen him send out eight winners from just 18 runners and all is rosy again at Warren Chase Stables near Stratford.
The slump was never likely to last long as Murphy has quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in just two and a half years, already approaching 200 winners in that time.
“We’re still building for the future but things couldn’t have gone any better,” he says. “We’re still a young operation and lack many handicappers, but we have plenty of youngsters and a substantial number of really exciting ones this season.
“There are stacks of horses who will pick up bumpers and novice hurdles, many unraced ones, so there’s a lot of raw potential in the stable.”
Murphy makes no secret of his ambitions, adding: “I hope we can keep getting better and better. We have a very good loyal bunch of owners who have shown great patience with me and their horses.”
To keep pace with his own ambition, Murphy has had to constantly add to the capacity and facilities at his yard but can see the end in sight now, which can only help for the future.
“We’ve finished building in the yard now but there’s a new gallop going down in the spring. Since day one we’ve never stopped improving facilities.”
Adjutant
5 b g Champs Elysees – Jubilee
He came to us having won on the Flat for Brian Meehan and quickly took to jumping as he won back-to-back novice hurdles at Stratford in the summer. We then put him away and I was very happy with his second at Newcastle under a double penalty on his first run back this month. His mark of 129 looks fair and he’ll be more effective when we get some better ground.
Alpha Carinae
5 ch m Robin Des Champs – Annas Present
She came to us having won her only point-to-point at Stowlin in May and I was very pleased with her debut win at Newcastle last week. She’s a sweet mare who does nothing quickly, but she stays so well and was well on top at the end last week. She’ll have one more run in a mares’ bumper this season and then we’ll put her away until next season when she’ll make a nice staying novice hurdler.
Blazer’s Mill
6 b g Westerner – Creation
He was very disappointing on his hurdles debut at Ayr this month, but he’s since had his wind operated on and I expect him to bounce back. He’d won his only bumper prior to that in good style from Mount Windsor and that horse won his next two. I hope he’ll be out again in about four weeks and I’d be very disappointed if he didn’t win a maiden sooner rather than later.
Brewin’upastorm
7 b g Milan – Daraheen Diamond
He’s a very exciting prospect. He was a smart hurdler last season but everything he’d done was something of a bonus as he was always going to be a nice chaser. We started him off chasing at Carlisle in October and he beat the smart Good Boy Bobby, while I was very pleased to see him then win under a penalty at Taunton. Unfortunately he had a small setback after that run but he’s back now and cantering. His return target is the Kingmaker next month at Warwick and, if I can’t get him ready for that, it will be a normal novice chase as a prep for the Cheltenham Festival, where I think a strongly run Arkle would possibly suit him best, although the Marsh [formerly JLT] is an option. He goes on good or soft ground and nothing bothers him.
Calipso Collonges
8 b g Crossharbour – Ivresse Collonges
He continues to give his owners plenty of fun and I was particularly pleased with his recent effort when second to the smart Lord Do Mesnil at Haydock over 3m1½f on heavy ground. He’s 5lb below his highest mark and I could see him winning a nice handicap somewhere this season.
Champagnesuperover
5 b g Jeremy – Meldrum Hall
He was named after the momentous Cricket World Cup win and looks a fine prospect. His debut win at Ayr this month was a joy to watch as he romped home by 16 lengths. Inevitably people have since asked about the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham but I’m not sure he’s a festival horse yet. However, I think we’ll probably go to Newbury for the Listed race on Betfair Hurdle day and I’d go as far as to say he’s a very smart horse. He’s come out of the Ayr trip very well.
Dundrum Wood
6 b g Flemensfirth – Ruby Isabel
He’s a very immature horse but has a huge engine. We had his wind operated on after he was second to Flow Away at Market Rasen in October and he hacked up by 14 lengths when we took him back there the following month. He was given a mark of 120 after that, which I think is fair. I had him ready to go last week at Ludlow but the ground was too soft. He’ll be out when we find a suitable race.
Endlessly
5 b g Nathaniel – What’s Up Pussycat
He came to us from Martyn Meade last season and has been a great addition to the team. He won his first two races, both on the Flat, only to run poorly on his hurdling debut at Plumpton last month. However, he was back to his old self last time when winning a novice hurdle at Ayr over the new year period, when he travelled and jumped so well. There could be some nice handicap hurdles for him in the spring and he’ll also go back on the Flat again.
Here Comes McCoy
5 br g Dylan Thomas – Is It Here
He’s a big horse who did well to win on his debut at Warwick last weekend. His work had been encouraging and I was expecting a good run, but the manner of it surprised me a bit in what looked a very competitive bumper. We won’t overface him this season and he’ll have one more run under a penalty.
Hunters Call
10 b g Medaaly – Accordiontogelica
He’s been such a hard horse to keep sound and hasn’t run since he won a valuable handicap hurdle at Ascot just before Christmas in 2017. He’s been beset by suspensory problems, nothing serious but enough to keep him off the track. Thankfully he’s back in training now and we’ll give him one last go and see if he’s ready in the spring. A race like the Imperial Cup could be worth targeting but I need to get him back 100 per cent first.
I K Brunel
6 b g Midnight Legend – Somethinaboutmolly
He won a bumper last season and quickly got off the mark this season over hurdles, but he then ran no race at all when we tried him in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham. He ran better at Newbury last month but it still wasn’t his true running. I think he’ll be a different horse in a couple of months when we get nicer ground and there could be a big handicap in the spring for him. We might even consider him for the Ballymore at Cheltenham.
Itchy Feet
6 b g Cima De Triomphe – Maeva Candas
I really rate this horse. He had a cracking time of it last season, finishing third in the Supreme, and he could head to Cheltenham again this season over fences. He made his chasing debut at Leicester over Christmas and I wouldn’t underestimate that performance just because there were only three runners. He jumped and travelled so well and powered home by 26 lengths. I have to step him up in class after that and he’ll head to Sandown for the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase before we look to the festivals. He wants 2m4f now and will improve as we step him up in trip.
Linelee King
5 gr g Martaline – Queen Lee
He came here after an impressive win in a point-to-point 11 months ago and is a lovely specimen who has always looked an above-average horse at home. I was very pleased with his debut in a Chepstow bumper in October as he was beaten only half a length with a fair way back to the third. He came out of it very well and did exactly what I expected of him when winning at Sedgefield last week, doing it nicely against a couple of potentially smart rivals. He’ll now have one more run this season under a penalty and he looks a nice prospect for the future.
Nickolson
6 b g No Risk At All – Incorrigible
He has a big engine and won nicely on his only run this season at Wincanton in October. He’s been showing me a lot at home and we want to run him at the Cheltenham Festival, although he’d want good to soft ground or worse. He’ll have one more run beforehand and I think we’ll keep him to 2m, although he’ll get 2m4f in time.
Notre Pari
6 br g Jeremy – Glynn Approach
He’s been very progressive. He ran well on his third hurdles outing at Market Rasen in November and stepped up on that when beating One Night In Milan at Aintree. He went up 8lb to a mark of 130, which I thought was fair, and he was in with a shout when he fell at the last in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton last Saturday. We’ll see how he’s come out of that this week before making plans.
Oscar Academy
7 b g Oscar – Flaming Brandy
He joined me towards the end of last year and made an immediate impact when winning a 2m4f maiden hurdle at Leicester by 13 lengths in December. Although he was a 25-1 shot, I wasn’t surprised he ran well – it was just how well that pleased me. He’ll try to defy a penalty in a similar race next time and I think 2m4f looks fine for the time being.
Overthetop
6 br g Flemensfirth – Dawn Bid
He’s done precious little wrong. Having won a point-to-point 13 months ago, he won his only bumper last year and this season he’s won two of his three races over hurdles. I was really pleased with his win last time out at Newcastle as the second horse was no mug and it was a long way back to the third. He’ll have to step up in grade now and be aimed at one of the festivals. He’ll be even better next year as he’s a proper chaser in the making.
Presence Of Mind
5 b g Presenting – Alleygrove Lass
He’s another point-to-point winner who has improved with every run since coming here. He was a promising second in a Fakenham bumper and went one better at Huntingdon in November. We decided to go hurdling with him on New Year’s Day and he won nicely at Catterick. He could be one for a handicap in the spring on slightly better ground.
Skandiburg
6 b g Sageburg – Skandia
He’s been such a consistent horse and is still relatively unexposed. He was beaten by a short head first time out but then won at Aintree and followed up at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day despite doing everything wrong. He’s being freshened up now and will go straight to Cheltenham for the Pertemps Final, in which he won’t be far away. He’s an improving handicapper and I think he’ll thrive in a big field.
Smackwater Jack
6 b g Flemensfirth – Malachy’s Attic
He hasn’t won in three runs this season but has run well every time. His last two efforts have been at Cheltenham and I juat think he might be better on a flat, galloping track. He’s rated 130 and there’s a nice handicap to be won with him off that mark. I hope to get him out again by the end of the month.
St Gallen
7 b g Majestic Missile – Fly With Me
He came to us from John Joseph Murphy last spring and looks a nice acquisition. He won his first two races for us at Market Rasen and Kelso and I thought he had a good chance of completing a hat-trick in the Summer Hurdle but he ran no race. We gave him a break after that and he’s only just come back in. His work in the summer had been good and I think his mark of 121 is fair.
The Butcher Said
7 b g Robin Des Champs – Georgina Valleya
He came to us in April and has done really well as he clearly blossomed from the change of scenery. He won at Huntingdon in May and followed that up at Cartmel, Fontwell and Newton Abbot to complete a four-timer. He came back in the autumn when a good second to Ramses De Teillee at Cheltenham and ran well again when not beaten far at the November meeting there. He’ll go to Cheltenham for the Martin Pipe or the Albert Bartlett and then chasing will be his job after May 1. He’ll make a nice chaser.
The Wolf
6 ch g Kapgarde – Ges
He joined us over the summer as a maiden over hurdles after four runs but soon got off the mark at Fakenham by 17 lengths. He disappointed next time but I was very pleased with his latest effort at Newbury over Christmas when second off 123. He’s crying out for 3m now but I don’t want to expose him to that trip just yet. I might just look for a novice hurdle under a penalty and he could then be one for a good handicap in the spring.
Thomas Darby
7 b g Beneficial – Silaoce
He was a smart hurdler last season, rounding off with a great second in the Supreme at Cheltenham. We decided to go chasing with him this term and his first run when a length second to Maire Banrigh was very encouraging, but he didn’t fire at all at Kempton in November when my horses weren’t running well. He needed treatment after that and we’ve done a few things differently to get to the bottom of the issue. He seems more like his old self now. He’ll go back over hurdles for the rest of the season, starting at Ascot on Saturday if all goes well. He’s a talented horse and I’ll be looking for a much-improved run.
Valentino Dancer
5 ch g Mastercraftsman – Bertie’s Best
He’s a good-ground horse and progressed well last summer, winning at Newton Abbot and Perth. He won’t be out until he gets his conditions again and I could see him being competitive in a nice handicap during the spring. He’s versatile as he could go on the Flat yet will jump a fence in time.
Trainer’s pick Brewin’upastorm
Dark horse The Wolf