John Joseph Murphy

If you are a racing tragic, and I'd like to think that most TDN readers fall into this celebrated bracket, it is impossible to have a day off at the moment. Trials, Classics, they come thick and fast in these heady weeks of spring. We've waited winterlong, starved of any meaningful action, and now it's hard not to feel a little queasy at the veritable feast of racing which is set before us, course after course after course. There's barely even room for the Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding Maiden Hurdle. ...

John Murphy has described himself as very lucky to have come across Betfred Derby contender White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) and says that his 14-1 chance for Epsom glory is more than worthy of his shot in the line-up for the eagerly-awaited Classic.  White Birch identified himself as a bona fide Derby prospect when streaking to G3 Ballysax S. glory at Leopardstown earlier in the season. From there, he went on to overcome a tardy start to finish an excellent second behind The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the G2...

Conspicuous by his colour if not his presence in the betting market, Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's recent acquisition White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}--Diagnostic {GB}, by Dutch Art {GB}) overhauled the customary representation of the O'Briens and Bolger in Leopardstown's G3 P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax S. to provide the John Joseph Murphy stable with a red-letter day. Anchored at the tail of the field early by Shane Foley, the almost-white grey who had opened his account by 6 1/2 lengths over seven furlongs sporting Murphy's own silks at Dundalk in November loomed...