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Ferdy Murphys stable is well known to have a "slow" start. This "needing the run" business is now so out of touch he is way behind a lot of the trainers.
I find it hard to believe how badly his horses are running and people put it down to, "well thats just Ferdy", I’m sorry but thats old school now, and trainers are way ahead of him.
He had a poor-average season last year, he blamed the snow, yes it was a bad month or two, but when your horses aren’t fit and then the snow comes, you may as well give up. We had horrendous snow in Scotland yet Lucinda Russell managed to fire out 41 winners and have her best season, Ferdy has so far fired out 2 winners this season with a 3% strike rate, in the last five years he’s gone from 61 to 29 winners.
I watched Divers today, a class horse, who ran terrible and probably was 70% fit, what a way to dissapoint the horse and owners, poor Graham Lee must be pulling his hair out.
I know it’s a bit harsh to have a go, but he is rapidly falling behind the Nicholls, Pipes, Vaughans, Longsdens and in the north McCains and Russells, who all realise they need to fire out winners all the year around for their owners and stable profile.
Ferdy needs to move on, or he will be left behind.
In fairness the horse was held up out the back, they let the odds-on favourite and the horse that stays longer than the mother-in-law (won a handicap hurdle over 3m 3f) go clear early on whilst Ferdy’s two the Jonjo O’Neill horse (Gilbarry) and Lord Villez sat 10 or so lengths off them throughout.
Divers has far bigger races to be contesting this season and I’d imagine he’ll have him cherry ripe for Cheltenham in two weeks time, the market told the story with him (from an EP of 7/2 out to an SP of 8’s) as it did with the other protagonists in the race, Gilbarry (4/1 out to 9’s), Hidden Keel (4/5 into 8/13)and Mr Moonshine (9/1 into 3’s) andt he race went exactly as the market predicted it would.
Irish, I know, but sorry his strategy is old school, all his horses are running poor, no excuse nowadays, with all the facilities available they should be fit enough to run races, 0% RTF on racing post sums it up, it just drives me mad to think this is his way of training in 2011, its so old school
But this is my honest opinion, just in my book not the way to train racehorses in 2011
Anyone who bet one of Ferdy’s runners in that intermediate chase got what they deserve as they were 22 , 20 and 12 pounds wrong with the favourite if my maths are correct. The 12 being Divers who had no right to win even if straight.
Its not just Ferdy’s horses who improve for the run, how about Luca Cumani as an example.Divers may well have bigger targets in the future but it’s unacceptable the amount of horses Ferdy sends to the race track unfit in my opinion to be raced in this manner. As educated punters a lot of us will know and can work out when to back Ferdy horses but for the unsuspecting punter it just stinks of non trying. Why he isn’t pulled into the stewards room or quizzed by the BHA more often is beyond me.
It’s a sorry sight through oct/nov/dec seeing Ferdys horses coming back jumping slowly in the rear tailed off and often blundering their way around.
I don’t think you could say Ferdy Murphy isn’t able to get one ready, he has proven often enough in the past that he is very able to get them ready when it counts.
I’d be with tbracing on this one (although I’m not even able to work out when to back one of Ferdy’s).
Is his reduction in winners linked to a reduction in the number of horses he is training?
All bar one Carlisle winner today led or was prominent. On easy ground, I suspect this is where the majority of winners will come from under new whip rules.
Whether trained by Ferdy or anyone else, horses giving away 15 to 20 lengths in the early part of a race on softish ground (all else being equal, ie., nothing effectively bolts with jock), should, perhaps, be scrutinised more closely by the stewards.
Good point Joe – IMO it’s no coincidence that a front running bridle merchant like Runshan has racked up a quick double since they came in.
Horses who travel and can front run should in theory do well – as will horsemen rather than stick jockeys. Noel Fehily has ridden two cracking races in recent weeks on Only Witness when he came from well off the pace to pick them up in the straight having been kidded along under hands and heels for much of the final lap and today on Bowntobebad who won fairly easily despite being green, Noel gave him a couple of cracks before two out and after that it was just hands and heels to the finish.
I agree on Murphy and had the very same discussion surrounding the fitness of his horses with a friend a few days ago – he trains in Middleham, other Middleham trainers manage to get them fit using the same facilities etc. so why not Ferdy?
Ferdy Murphys stable is well known to have a "slow" start. This "needing the run" business is now so out of touch he is way behind a lot of the trainers.
I find it hard to believe how badly his horses are running and people put it down to, "well thats just Ferdy", I’m sorry but thats old school now, and trainers are way ahead of him.
I totally agree with you Milnathort,but it isn’t just needing the run first time out; they seem to need every run from June right through until March. This policy often seems to get horses well handicapped for the Cheltenham Festival and other big Spring races. Expect his horses to improve greatly in this quarter of the year. However, for any trainer to rely so much on such a short period is asking for trouble. That’s not to say Ferdy is not capable of preparing one for a big race in the Autumn/Winter months. It is just getting rarer.
Value Is EverythingBrandon Thomas and Pillar of Hercules were both second at Huntingdon today, and Charingworth was unlucky not to do better than third in the Listed Chase at Wetherby yesterday.
Sorry to have to correct an earlier post but Ferdy does not train at Middleham but at West Witton which is about 4 miles away. He therefore does not have access to the same gallops / facilities as other Middleham trainers such as Johnston, Hammond etc.
Having visited his premises he has his own private gallops etc and a first rate set up.
Ferdy certainly knows the time of day, and how to get an "appropriate" handicap mark. I have no doubt that, as Ginger pointed out, you will see a number of winners as the season progesses past the New Year and through to Spring.All bar one Carlisle winner today led or was prominent. On easy ground, I suspect this is where the majority of winners will come from under new whip rules.
Nice to read some objective assessment of races up that hill on Carlisle-cloying.
Yep, under similar circumstances – which we are likely to see through the coming winter – the resolute genuine stayer, rather than one who has to be encouraged with the thingummy is likely to prevail.
For the punter who really doesn’t give a flying fk about jockeys, least of all those who fall foul of the current rules, these new whip rules offer an opportunity to study the horse in question and, as alluded to, the track
From there lies an edge
edit:
Cormack, I think your boy Outlaw Tom could do with easier fences and a stiff finish. Have a word with Lucinda, she does nicely at Carlisle
Cheers Coggy – was up there a few (about 14 or 15 years back) when Ferdy had Paddy’s Return, Addington Boy, French Holly and of course my namesake and he’d told us that they had access to all the gallops the Middleham trainers used. Not sure if he’s put his own in etc since and presume the staffing has changed a lot since then but don’t remember him starting this slowly until about 5 or 6 years ago.
I agree Irish Stamp, I also cannot remember quite such a slow start.
He certainly has installed some impressive gallops for both flat and jumps purposes.
Really good facilities, barns , walkers etcIf trainers are sending blatantly unfit horses to the races and are not running them on their merits, then the handicappers should ignore those runs and not drop them anything for them in my opinion.
I’m keeping a very close eye on one of Ferdy’s because he gave it a great mention in his recent stable tour in the racing post pull out and I thought it ran a belter on the comeback from a long absence, certainly a lot better than a lot of his have been going lately……
Going Wrong
….well worth keeping a close eye on and following this season….
Venetia Williams is another I see operating very similar to FM aswell….?
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