19 November 2010 Murphy looking forward to 2011
by Carolyn Tanner
Olly Murphy aboard TRIBAL VENTURE
photo: David Dew
One rider looking forward to a busy season is 19-year-old Olly Murphy, whose genes were always going to guarantee him an involvement in racing - his father (Aiden Murphy) is a bloodstock agent and his mother (Anabel King) is a licensed trainer.
Olly enjoyed a very successful debut season in 2009 with Tribal Venture, on whom he won five races. He finished runner-up in the Harley Racing National Novice Riders' Championship, sandwiched between Matt Griffiths and Sam Twiston-Davies, now both making a name for themselves as Conditionals.
Tribal Venture, formerly trained by Philip Hobbs, returns after a year off - "He didn't have a problem, his legs were just very tired after a busy season," explained his rider - and the Murphy family has acquired two more winning Chasers from the same source.
Boychuk, whose enthusiasm under Rules had waned somewhat since his novice days, has been doing plenty of hunting and may also go team chasing before a return to the track after Christmas. He is likely to start in an Open before tackling Hunter Chases.
Kornati Kid, who once started favourite for the Welsh National, proved generally disappointing, but Olly is hoping that a drop in grade and a test of stamina will prove beneficial.
Olly recently spent a year at Alan King's yard. "I learned a lot while I was there, and Choc Thornton and Wayne Hutchinson were really helpful," he stressed. He currently juggles working for his mother with riding out for other trainers, and has no doubt also learned a lot (not necessarily equestrian-related) from Tom Ellis and Will Telfer, with whom he shares a house.
To get away from the duo, he jumps from the frying pan into the fire by staying on occasion with another man not averse to a good party, Chris Bealby's stable jockey Tom Messenger. Olly, who goes to the yard twice a week, will be riding under Rules for Chris and partnering some of the Pointers trained by Chris's wife Antonia, while Robin Dickin is another handler for whom the self-styled "travelling gypsy" rides out.
He hopes to start his campaign between the flags at Cottenham on December 5.
