The trainer, who has died aged 70, officially saddled 10 Festival winners but may have masterminded many more big-race wins
Ferdy Murphy, whose death at the age of 70 was announced on Tuesday, officially saddled 10 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, three Scottish National winner and a 40-1 winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. The form book does not tell the whole story of his successes, however. Murphy had been training big-race winners unofficially for a decade before finally taking out his own licence in 1990. Born in County Wexford, Murphy started his racing career in the saddle and was apprenticed to Phonsie O’Brien, whose brother Vincent was one of the greatest trainers of the 20th century. Murphy later joined the stable of jumping legend Paddy Mullins, spending seven seasons at the yard as both stable jockey and head lad.
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