Bob Murphy earned instant fame after a lifetime of involvement in horses when Darrens Hope knuckled down to deny Gordon Elliott-trained hotpot Minella Crooner in the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Chase at Punchestown in November.
t was the biggest success of the three-horse trainer’s career, a career that has always centred on racing the mares he has bred, with that pursuit a hobby in itself.
Milking 100 cows in Cappoquin was the day job until last March but much like his Villierstown neighbour Paddy Corkery, he became an overnight sensation by dint of one success — the Grade 1 Faugheen Chase at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day 2021, in Corkery’s case — and an interview categorised as colourful.
That’s the trend nowadays, particularly when people from rural settings act normally and are new to the viewer. Because of a lifetime spent outside the day-to-day grind of the racing bubble and operating far from any sort of spotlight or crowd, Murphy and Corkery eschew cliche and code and speak from the heart. They also looked like it meant something to them, and of course it did.
There must be something in the Blackwater, and this pair’s successes are what the racing dream is founded on. Indeed, they are more notable than ever now giving their increasing rarity. Like Corkery, Murphy has been breeding for years with the likes of Darrens Hope’s half-brother and five-time winner for Harry Fry, Acting Lass, as well as Julies Stowaway doing well for their connections.
Darrens Hope has been born, reared and trained here and she still has her dam, Darrens Lass, keeping a matronly eye on developments.
“When our son Darren was a baby, we called the mare Darrens Lass,” he says. “She’s 27 now. She’s flying around. I’ve three mares off her now. I have a Walk In The Park and another Oscar [a full-sister to Darrens Hope], Darrens Diamond. She has a filly foal to Walk In The Park and is in foal to Walk In The Park again. Hopefully I’ll get a colt this year to sell, but we’ll keep all the fillies.”
Darrens Hope is just about to be exercised when Murphy takes the initial call on Thursday and, thankfully, the mood is good when we get to chatting properly on the way home from Lord Waterford’s Curraghmore Estate gallops in Portlaw.
“She takes plenty work, but I gave her a little break after Punchestown, so we’re building her back up now. We know by this stage from riding her when she’s ready, so it doesn’t matter what she’s working with.
“Punchestown was great. I knew there were a big one in her. She ran no race in the Munster National, but she hated being held up. She’ll only do what you ask her, and if you don’t ask her, she won’t do it. But she tries very hard ... she’s a wicked honest mare. She’s a big mare, which is why she wants soft ground. She’s 17 hands. There’s very few mares around the country like her. You have fellas all around the country coming over to have a look at her. Even Gordon [Elliott] came over one day to have a look at her. He said she’s one of the finest mares in the country. Willie Mullins said the same the last day.”
Darrens Hope needs a few horses to fall by the wayside to get into the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park on Thursday. It is a race with a rich tradition and one Murphy would love to participate in. The likely testing conditions will suit her, but not every horse might allow her to sneak in.
Another potential fly in the ointment is the availability of Danny Mullins, whose uncle Willie may require his services. “If she doesn’t get in, she is ready to run, so she will go somewhere else very quickly after. If Danny isn’t available, I’ll run her in something else, too. Danny is a great man with pace, and he suits her. I think he’s a great rider. Not many can judge from the front like he can. He loves the mare, too; he’s mad keen to ride her, and hopefully he’ll be available.”
Beyond next week, the Irish Grand National is pencilled in. And then, there is the job of carrying on the carefully-cultivated ancestral line.
“I’d say this year might be her last year running, and we’ll breed from her then. She’s nine now. She’ll either go abroad or to Walk In The Park, one or the other. I’m going to keep going to the very best with that line now and keep building it up.
“We were always looking at the Thyestes; it would be great to win that, and she’d have a great chance if she got in. Then we’ll maybe look at the Irish National. The horse that beat her in Galway in October [Frontal Assault] was second in the Irish National. So she’d be fit to run a good race if she could make that.”
Hope springs eternal.