The partnership with jockey E Walsh has become the defining relationship of her career, the pair having been out together 12 times without managing a win. Twelve races is a meaningful sample — it is not a case of bad luck over a handful of tries. Something has consistently not quite clicked when it matters most.
Her recent form makes for difficult reading: going back through her last six races, the finishes read 16th, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and two unplaced efforts after that. The third place is worth noting as a sign she can get competitive, but the 16th suggests there are days when things go very wrong. That kind of inconsistency is the hardest thing to work with as a trainer.
Murphy's yard is in decent health this season — 18 winners sent out is solid, productive work — which makes Gortmore Lady something of an outlier rather than a symptom of a struggling operation. The horses around her are winning. She simply has not found a way to join them yet. Whether that changes depends on finding the right race at the right moment, and given she was running just yesterday, it seems clear the team has not given up on the idea.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downpatrick Undulating |
7 | 3 thirds, 4 other | 22 May | 0% |
| Kilbeggan Tight |
2 | 2 other | 24 Apr | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 11 May | 0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 3 Jul | 0% |
| Ballinrobe Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 22 Jul | 0% |
| Wexford Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 28 May | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 14 Oct | 0% |
| Roscommon Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 29 Sep | 0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 | 1 other | 8 Sep | 0% |
| Down Royal Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 31 Oct | 0% |
| Tramore Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 25 Nov | 0% |