Image © Healy Racing
Denis Murphy enjoyed a remarkable weekend on the point-to-point circuit, saddling five winners and three seconds across Ballysteen, Fairyhouse and Lisronagh, despite significant disruption to his Ballyboy Stables base in Wexford.
The handler has recently been forced to relocate a large portion of his string due to the effects of nearby flowering rapeseed crops, with pollen widely recognised as a respiratory irritant that can leave horses underperforming.
“I had to move them all down to Jamie Codd’s - 25 of them,” Murphy explained. “They weren’t there three days and the horses just turned inside out. It was unbelievable.
“The fumes of the stuff around me, it’s sick. It’s actually sick. I don’t know how they get away with it. The horses are scoped clear, but they just run so flat with it, it’s unbelievable.
“We’re very grateful to Jamie for helping us out.”
The move proved decisive, with Murphy effectively operating out of a field at Jamie Codd’s yard in the lead-up to the weekend, and he admitted the outcome could have been very different without that option.
“If I hadn’t somewhere to move them, I’d have to let them all off – the season would be over for us,” he said.
The turnaround in fortunes was immediate, as Murphy’s team bounced back in style.
“That was a very good weekend, a savage weekend.”
The run began at Ballysteen, where Kiwi De Cotte got the yard off the mark in the winner-of-two under Jack Hendrick, rallying to score by a head.
“He goes very well, that horse. A very well-bred horse,” Murphy said, with a possible hunter chase at Wexford now under consideration, while also noting that the six-year-old holds an entry for the Doncaster sale next month.
Keppols Poet also caught the eye when finishing second in the opening division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden and is another set to head to the sales.
“He’s a gorgeous horse, a big, big horse. He’s crying out for summer’s grass. He’ll be a very nice horse going forward, without doubt.”
At Fairyhouse, Moltenblue bounced back from an earlier fall on debut at Tinahely to land the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
“He wasn’t right for a couple of weeks, but we gave him a bit of a break and he came back to what he was showing us early. He’s a nice, big Blue Bresil horse.”
In the opening division of that contest, Malbeck made a highly encouraging debut when finishing second in what proved to be the fastest race on the card.
“He is a very, very nice horse,” Murphy said, confirming the son of Cokoriko will be retained for now.
The five-year-old geldings’ maiden at the same meeting produced another notable return, as Johnjoes Lad struck in the opening division, while Staple Flight finished runner-up in the second heat.
“Johnjoes Lad is another big horse of ours. Him and Staple Flight are big types, they’re just taking a bit of time.”
Murphy completed his five-timer at Lisronagh, where he opted to run a pair of well-fancied debutants, both of whom made immediate impressions.
Ilians Way opened her account in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.
“She’s a queen. Her homework was savage. I did expect that.”
Walkonseas followed up in the corresponding geldings’ division to complete a notable double on the card.
“He won very cosy, he’s an absolute monster. He’ll be twice the horse when he goes back in trip. A very pacey horse.”
That Lisronagh double leaves Murphy with a strong hand ahead of Thursday’s Goffs Punchestown Festival Sale, where Ilians Way, Walkonseas and Fairyhouse winner Moltenblue will all go through the ring.
“I’ll have three going to Punchestown, three very more than presentable horses,” Murphy said.
Further ahead, a number of others from the weekend, including Kiwi De Cotte, Keppols Poet and Johnjoes Lad, are pencilled in for the Goffs UK Spring HIT/PTP Sale 2026.
“The rest go to Doncaster.”
Murphy will also be represented on the track at the Punchestown Festival, with Empire Soldier declared for Tuesday’s opening race, the Ladies Cup.
“He’s actually going extremely well, but Gordon Elliott’s and Ian McCarthy’s horses will be hard to beat,” he said. “You never know.”
Murphy who is now on the 14 winner mark for the season, was quick to credit both his riders and the team at home.
“Shane is a hard worker, and there are some nice horses left for him,” he said of Shane Cotter, who is closing in on David Doyle in the under-21 riders’ title race, with the pair currently on 11 and 13 winners respectively.
“I’ll do my best to give him the ammunition, but David has a lot of firepower as well.”
Cotter was joined by Jack Hendrick among the weekend winners, with Murphy equally full of praise for the young rider.
“Jack is a very good rider, top class. He was out for a while with injury, but that’s racing.”
Behind the scenes, Murphy was keen to stress the effort required to keep things running smoothly, particularly during a challenging period.
“I’ve great staff with me. The whole operation is a big team effort and I couldn’t do it without them.”
With his horses now thriving in their temporary surroundings and a strong draft heading to the sales ring, Murphy has plenty to look forward to in the closing weeks of the season.
With his horses now thriving in their temporary surroundings and a strong draft heading to the sales ring, Murphy has plenty to look forward to in the closing weeks of the season.
