Pat Murphy

I'm from Castlecomer in Co Kilkenny and we always had horses at home - hunters, eventers and show jumpers. We used to breed sport horses and then sell them. That was mainly how I was introduced to horses. In relation to how I got into thoroughbreds, my brother and I started off with a broodmare. We just said we would go down the thoroughbred/racing route. Then I got a few thoroughbreds to break and we pre-trained one of the horses that we bred. We formed a syndicate for one of the horses, Wholelotofrosie, and she went on to win a two-year-old maiden in Galway (in September 2012 when trained by Dick Donohoe). Then the fellas that were involved in the syndicate said why didn't I give the training a go myself.

I just tested the water first to see how it would go. I was leasing a yard and it just took off from there in 2013. My first winner came through Wagadoogoochoochoo at Gowran Park in September that year. I wasn't actually there at the time as I was on honeymoon. I got all the phone calls and got to see the race afterwards. I suppose it wasn't the same with not being there, but we were happy that she won. Some local guys owned her and it was a local track. At the start we only had four or five, we had more pre-trainers and I was doing a few breezers as well just to keep it all going. I still do a few breezers every year and I like doing them. At the end of the day, we are a selling yard. There were always enquiries and I was taking in horses - a lot of the horses would be low-grade horses. I then decided to move the operation home and we put in a five-furlong uphill woodchip gallop, so that I could do the fast work at home. We put in a new yard and a new sand arena and upgraded the yard the whole time.

Hit The Silk was a great horse for me. He was actually bought to breed and I'd say he didn't stop growing from the day I bought him - he was 16.2hh, so the breeze ups didn't suit him. He was a very late-maturing horse and he did very well for us. On his second run, he won a conditions race in Limerick (October 2017) for us. He was a high-grade horse that won three races for us and a nice horse to have. I had a good double in Dundalk in December 2017 with Koybig and No Approval, and it was that week I did the course for the full training licence. I was a restricted trainer up until then. It was great to get the double at that time. We were progressing at that time and getting a little bit busier. I was there that night and I travelled up from doing the course in the Curragh. I actually just finished the course that day. Koybig was a yard favourite, he won three in a row (at Dundalk in November and December 2017) and that did a good bit for the yard.

We had good years in 2022 and 2023 and had some nice winners. Coreman winning his maiden in Galway (July 2022) was a special day for a good owner Redmond McGrath, a good supporter of the yard. He always has a few horses with us. I was delighted to win that race for him. We got some nice horses in in 2023, we got Longclaw and Snagit, horses that won for us. Craft Irish was a nice mare to get in, she took off at that time and won five races for us. Longclaw had a bit of a setback last year and the handicapper had some of the other horses in his grip - the likes of Rock Dandy and Asisaid. It goes in waves especially when you have small numbers as the handicapper catches up with you. Maybe you sell a few of the nicer horses, so then you have to regroup and build again. Mint Man was knocking on the door for a long time last year. He eventually won his maiden in Dundalk in December. It has also been great to get three wins out of Fly To Glory in the Winter Series at Dundalk.

Master Technician is after winning his third race with Rod Millman in England. It is great to see him doing well as we breezed him last year. We had Take Me To Church the year before who later won the Madrid (for Jack Davison at Naas in March 2024) and was sold on to America. We would always have between 10 and 15 horses in the yard. We are open to more horses coming in - a few years ago we built on a few more stables. Horses would also be moving as do sell them on. The first thing you have to do is find the job for the horse that you get. A lot of our horses would be at the lower end of the grading and we have to try and get a job first and foremost to suit the horse. Everybody wants to have a winner. A lot of the owners I have would be people who like to sell their horses. We try and have the horse placed as best as we can. We love to see the horse going on and winning again wherever they go, we leave a bit for the next guy! We mainly source our horses from the sales. The younger horses come from the sales. A lot of the older handicappers come from the sales or privately. We have taken a lot from England and we would have a good strike rate with horses we have bought out of yards in England. Maybe horses that have lost their way a bit, reinvigorate them a bit. As out numbers are low, we are able to focus on individual attention to the horse.

It is a tough gig training here. Some of the best horses in the world are here and we are up against some of the best trainers in the world. It is hard to fit in against the bigger yards that have a lot of ammunition. At the end of the day, if you have a nice horse, you will do well. It is probably hard to hold on to a good horse, but we accept that as a selling yard. My owners can be owner/breeders that need to sell, and they come in under that premise. If we are asked to do that job, great. On the other hand, we have syndicates and they just want to go racing and enjoy the sport. We have had great sport with the likes of Fly To Glory, he is owned by a syndicate (Bajan Invasion Syndicate). We actually started off Allstar Racing Syndicate last year and we have two fillies in training for them. That's a new venture and we are hoping to have great fun with that syndicate this summer. We have some nice two-year-olds and three-year-olds for the upcoming Flat season that haven't run, and we are looking forward to them.

Pat was in conversation with Michael Graham.

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About Michael Graham

Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.

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