Tag Archive for: Amy Murphy

Amy Murphy moving to France on full-time basis

Trainer Amy Murphy has announced she is leaving Newmarket and relocating to Chantilly.

Murphy, who began training in 2016, initially made her breakthrough in the National Hunt sphere, winning the 2018 Betfair Hurdle with Kalashnikov, who went on to be narrowly beaten in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle a month later.

The same horse, owned by her father Paul, went on to provide her with a first Grade One win in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April 2019, but in recent years, she has mainly switched her attention to the Flat.

In doing so, Murphy enjoyed a fair level of success in taking a team of horses over to France and while she did win the John Smith’s Cup at York with Pride Of America in 2023, her French forays became more and more commonplace and she set up a satellite yard in Chantilly in 2022.

She has repeatedly stated the comparison in prize money between the two jurisdictions forced her hand and now she has taken the plunge to move full time.

“As of February 2025, I will be leaving England and relocating to France in Chantilly,” Murphy announced on social media.

“We’ve obviously had a great time here in England in the 10 years we’ve been training and we’re looking forward to the opportunities that are going to arise as we make this exciting move across the water.

“France is ever evolving and has great prize money levels, that’s our main draw as to why we are moving. Whilst we have attacked it on a small level, I want to have a good go based on a successful career in France.

“I’m really lucky that some of my team will be joining me in Chantilly and lots of my owners will be following us. It’s exciting.

“The facilities are second to none in Chantilly. I’m young and ambitious and want to keep building my career; Saturdays are the places we want to be and I hope this move will help us compete on a bigger stage.”



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Needlepoint has Amy Murphy California dreaming

Amy Murphy is eyeing a trip to California with Needlepoint after the one-time Classic hope completed her recovery from a life-threatening setback to win at Lingfield on Sunday.

The daughter of Blue Point looked an exciting prospect after winning on her juvenile debut at Chantilly in the summer of 2023 and connections were targeting the French 1000 Guineas in the spring.

However, it became obvious all was not well when she was being prepared for a prep run at Newbury and she did not run again until finishing third at Chelsmford last month.

Needlepoint was a 6-4 shot to go a couple of places better in the £30 In Free Bets With BetUK Novice Stakes and picked up well under 3lb claimer Frederick Larson to beat the 8-13 favourite Zip It Up – who been an impressive debut winner – by two and a quarter lengths.

Murphy said: “We’re very grateful to have her back to winning ways and it’s been a huge team effort to get her there.

“She was in her last gallop prepping for the Fred Darling and she came home and wasn’t right afterwards. The vets twice told us to prepare for the worst.

“We’re just very lucky that my team literally sat up with her every night for six weeks on a rota of four hours on and four hours off. She defied the odds shall we say and here she is.

“She was going to run in the Fred Darling in the hope that she was going to be a French Guineas filly, but at this point we’re just thrilled to have her back in some way shape or form.

“I think we left her a bit short at Chelmsford, she’s come through and got the job today and a big shout out to her owners (Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners) who have been very patient. They deserve every bit of success with her moving forward.”

On future plans, Murphy said: “She’ll go to Santa Anita next, all being well. There’s a couple of options for her in January, so we’ll make sure all is A1 and if it is then her next run will be in America.”



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Record-breaker Hot Darling all ready for Albany challenge

Hot Darling – the highest-priced lot ever sold on the Tattersalls Online platform – will stretch out to six furlongs for the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot as Amy Murphy eyes a decisive blow for the first time at the meeting.

The winner of both her starts, both at five furlongs and including a Vichy Listed event last month, the daughter of Too Darn Hot brought the virtual hammer down at 460,000 guineas on Wednesday.

She was purchased by leading owner Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe operation who saw off strong international competition for the prized Royal Ascot contender and becomes a new addition to the band of owners at Murphy’s Southgate Stables.

The intention is to now test the unbeaten filly over further at the Royal meeting when she competes over six furlongs for the first time in Thursday’s Group Three contest.

“It was a great result for everyone, the owners and my team at home,” said Murphy.

“She’s going to go for the Albany. We’ll find it out if six furlongs is right, but we’re looking forward to running her and she’s got a very good brain that we think will help her see the six out.

“We’re very privileged and excited to have Mr Bizakov in the yard and we look forward to hopefully having a good association. We have to thank him for his support.”

Murphy also has high hopes for Rock Hunter, who holds an entry in both the Windsor Castle and Norfolk Stakes, but first will be up for grabs at the prestigious Goffs London Sale which takes place at Kensington Palace on the eve of the meeting.

The son of Expert Eye has twice gone down narrowly to Dominic Ffrench Davis’ Enchanting Empress since scoring on debut at Chantilly debut, but Murphy feels the best of the National Stakes runner-up is still to be seen.

She added: “He’s a horse I have always held in high regard and I still don’t think we have seen the best of him.

“He needs a bit of cover and a strong pace to aim at and through no fault of his own and the small field sizes, he hasn’t really had what I believe he needs yet. I think he’s a lovely horse.

“He’s in the Windsor Castle and the Norfolk. We will have a look at both races and make a decision and if we decide to go to the Windsor Castle then he will have been declared before the sale on Monday.”



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Carole’s Pass delights Amy Murphy with Exeter success

Carole’s Pass was the pride of the Murphy family on Sunday after her Exeter success reached as far as the safari reserves of South Africa.

The mare is trained by Amy Murphy and was bred by her father Paul and started out over fences this season having won twice over hurdles and a bumper.

She made her chasing debut in a Listed Exeter event and finished third over two miles, after which she stepped up to two and a half miles and was third again in the Yorkshire Silver Vase.

In the Lady Protectress at Huntingdon she was then unlucky to part company with Jack Quinlan as another horse fell in front of them, but there were no such hard luck stories at the weekend as she jumped without a glitch in another Listed event.

An 11-1 chance in a field of good mares, Carole’s Pass seemed to relish the step up to three miles and strode to an unchallenged seven-and-a-half-length success to secure black type font on her pedigree – a boon to her dedicated breeder who was watching on from another continent.

“We had her dam (Carole’s Spirit) and her grand dam (Carole’s Crusader), two generations of homebreds that dad has bred, which is really nice,” Murphy explained.

“He’s actually away on safari in South Africa and he somehow managed to watch it live, I even had a quick debrief with him.

“I rang him to give him the result and somehow he’d managed to get enough WiFi to watch it live and he already knew!”

Cheltenham is unlikely to feature in Carole’s Pass’ plans but the spring festivals in Ireland and Aintree could be a possibility for the bay.

“I’m delighted to get her a Listed win, she’s from a cracking family of chasers and this was always going to be her forte,” Murphy said.

“It’s easy to forget that she’s only a novice so for me it was a great performance.

“She’s been in top gear over two (miles) and two and a half, so Sunday she travelled round very sweetly and that probably is her trip.

“You wouldn’t have picked her out as the novice in the field, she put in a foot perfect round of jumping in that ground and we were really pleased.

“She’s only young so I don’t think she’s for Cheltenham this year but we will try and find her something in Ireland or Aintree.”



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Carole’s Pass powers home to claim Listed victory

Carole’s Pass upheld family honour with a stylish display in the feature Trustatrader You Can Trust Our Traders Mares’ Chase at Exeter.

Trained by Amy Murphy, the six-year-old looked to have plenty to find on the ratings but a bold bit of placing was rewarded in style as she jumped herself into contention at the third last before being ridden out to win in style.

Her dam Carole’s Spirit was a dual Listed winner over hurdles for owner/breeder Paul Murphy, the trainer’s father.

Carole’s Spirit is a half-sister to Carole’s Legacy, second at Grade One level for Nicky Henderson, while she is also related to Mad Max, a Grade Two winner over fences for the Seven Barrows maestro.

Murphy now tends to concentrate more on the Flat but she showed in the early days of her career, with Kalashnikov winning a Betfair Hurdle and the Manifesto Novices’ Chase, that she is just as adept over jumps.

Galia Des Liteaux attempted to make all but was beaten early in the straight and while Malina Girl and Kestrel Valley appeared to be travelling strongly, when Jack Quinlan asked his mount to stride on, Carole’s Pass pulled seven and a half lengths clear.

“First and foremost, I have to say well done to Amy and her father Paul, because I wasn’t so keen on coming down here on the heavy ground but Amy said she’d be grand on it and I’m glad they didn’t listen to the jockey,” Quinlan told Racing TV.

Amy Murphy won the Johns Smith's Cup at York with Pride Of America last year
Amy Murphy won the Johns Smith’s Cup at York with Pride Of America last year (David Davies/PA)

“She’s been wanting the step up to three miles for a while but with breeding in mind, Paul was keen on as much black type as possible and she’s been running over two and a half because that’s what the mares’ Listed races have been over.

“She’s seen that out really well, though – she’s a really nimble, agile jumper and the type you enjoy going around there on.

“I’m delighted she’s got that Listed win under her belt. She was tired in the end but over two and a half, she’d been in top gear and done well sticking on for third in two Listed chases.”



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