At the very top of the sport, Murphy has won 16 Class 1 races — the elite tier of British racing, where the best horses in the country line up and the prize money reflects it. Those wins have come at venues like Sandown Park, Newbury, and Carlisle, meaning he has proved himself on a variety of tracks, not just a single patch of turf he knows well. The most recent came at Cheltenham in November 2025, the sport's most famous stage, and another followed just two weeks later at Carlisle. Winning at that level once takes talent; doing it repeatedly across different courses suggests a trainer who can get a horse ready for a big day.
His most reliable ally in the saddle is jockey Sean Bowen, and together they have formed one of the most productive partnerships in the sport. From 456 rides together they have produced 116 wins — that's 1 in every 4, or 25% — a fraction that climbs well above the already-strong seasonal average. When Bowen and Murphy combine, the chances of a winner go up noticeably, and that is not a coincidence. It reflects shared understanding, good communication, and horses being produced at exactly the right moment.
The partnership with Thunder Rock is worth highlighting on its own terms. Eight wins from 26 races together is a 31% win rate — roughly 1 in 3 — which for a repeated combination at this level is genuinely remarkable. A horse that wins nearly a third of its races over time is an asset, and the fact that Murphy has kept it in such consistent form across so many outings speaks well of how the yard manages its horses.
Right now Murphy is in exceptional form. Over the last two weeks, his runners have won 10 from 28 — 36%, compared to his already-solid season average of 20%. Whatever is happening at his yard at the moment, it is working. He is also particularly effective at Fakenham, where he has won 3 from just 6 runners, meaning half his runners there have won. For any punter or racing fan, that is a very useful thing to know.
| Course | Races | Wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uttoxeter | 78 | 13 | 16.7% |
| Perth | 49 | 20 | 40.8% |
| Worcester | 43 | 11 | 25.6% |
| Warwick | 37 | 8 | 21.6% |
| Ffos Las | 34 | 10 | 29.4% |
| Market Rasen | 34 | 8 | 23.5% |
| Wetherby | 31 | 4 | 12.9% |
| Cheltenham | 31 | 3 | 9.7% |
| Huntingdon | 30 | 4 | 13.3% |
| Newbury | 29 | 1 | 3.4% |
| Lingfield Park | 25 | 4 | 16% |
| Southwell | 24 | 11 | 45.8% |
| Ayr | 19 | 6 | 31.6% |
| Carlisle | 19 | 4 | 21.1% |
| Chepstow | 19 | 3 | 15.8% |
| Haydock Park | 18 | 1 | 5.6% |
| Leicester | 17 | 5 | 29.4% |
| Stratford-on-Avon | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
| Sandown Park | 17 | 3 | 17.6% |
| Windsor | 16 | 2 | 12.5% |
| Bangor-on-Dee | 16 | 1 | 6.2% |
| Kempton Park | 15 | 5 | 33.3% |
| Kelso | 15 | 1 | 6.7% |
| Aintree | 13 | 1 | 7.7% |
| Wincanton | 12 | 1 | 8.3% |
| Taunton | 12 | 1 | 8.3% |
| Fontwell Park | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
| hereford | 9 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Newton Abbot | 9 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Plumpton | 7 | 3 | 42.9% |
| Ascot | 7 | 0 | 0% |
| Fakenham | 6 | 3 | 50% |
| Exeter | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Newcastle | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Doncaster | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Wolverhampton | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Sedgefield | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| Ludlow | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| chelmsford | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Hexham | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Musselburgh | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Cartmel | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Catterick Bridge | 1 | 0 | 0% |