Looking Ahead to the Jump Season- Olly Murphy

Olly Murphy is one of the most exciting young talents in British National Hunt racing. Son of the legendary trainer Aiden Murphy, he grew up immersed in the world of horses and quickly forged his own path in the sport. After honing his skills as assistant trainer to multiple champion trainer Gordon Elliott in Ireland, Murphy set up his own yard in Warwickshire in 2017.

Since then, he has built a reputation for producing high-quality winners, combining sharp racing knowledge with a modern, ambitious approach to training. With a growing string of horses and notable successes at major meetings, Murphy is widely regarded as a rising star of the jumps scene.

The 2024/25 season brought about several valuable winners. Particular highlights must include Go Dante in the Imperial Cup at Sandown, Booster Bob in the Greatwood Gold Cup Chase at Newbury and Strong Leader in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle. 

The 2025/26 Season

The upcoming season looks to be an exciting one. Already operating at a 21% strike rate and £221,140 already won in prize money, Murphy looks to be a big player. 

Long Draw looks to be a very classy horse. Young, promising and already struck in some good races, the upcoming season will be a real show of talent. A strong run in the Pertemps at Haydock rounded off a promising season.

Next year, I would expect a move up the class, working to score some listed and possible grades wins. Looking at recent notable wins, Cheltenham seems to be Long Draw’s favourite, suggesting a win at the Cheltenham Festival could well be on the cards. 

Resplendent Grey scored late on to win the Bet 365 Gold Cup to top off a progressive season. A couple of good seconds in the Listed Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham and Grade 2 Betfair Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown showed valuable progression.

Starting the season running in class threes and finishing it by winning a Grade 3 contest, Resplendent Grey should back up its recent form for the upcoming season. A bold shout, but this horse could be a potential Welsh National runner, but will need an early good result to cement any claim. 

Strong Leader, somewhat of a stable star, should provide more of the same for this upcoming season. Olly Murphy will undoubtedly have clear aims to achieve at the big festivals. A constant season with several notable wins at Grade 1 and Grade 2 levels was brought down by a last-place finish at the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December.

This prompted a wind surgery in which Strong Leader would underperform at the January Cheltenham meet. However, a valuable second place in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle dispelled the December-January woes. The upcoming season should deliver more high-class victories, but it will need to get off to a strong start relatively quickly if the success of last season is to continue. 

Go Dante and Booster Bob are the final two to mention. Both horses scored some valuable handicaps last season. Booster Bob looked impressive in his shock win in the Greatwood Gold Cup Chase at Newbury. Despite the shock win, both Booster Bob and Go Dante look to be good handicap runners. More of the same will be expected. 

In terms of new recruits, American Mike looks interesting. Coming from former boss Gordon Elliot, it has been said by both Elliot and the owner that a change in scenery should bring out some untapped potential. A relatively poor season last time out, but there is definitely more to come. 

However, it seems like Jamada is the one who is taking a few headlines. Five years old, three runs and a win last time out, moves to Murphy for the upcoming season. The upcoming season will set the scene for the career ahead. Early-season expectations are to secure another win early on in a better race. Jamada does look like a horse to watch for the season, and it will be interesting to see Murphy’s work to bring wins over jumps. 

More Murphy Magic?

Overall, the 2025/26 season looks to be one full of promise. He had some seriously classy horses which should score in some big races. Murphy, despite having some stable stars, will be acutely aware of the next generation of horses. His training style and knowledge base will shine through as he looks to develop and maintain some classy handicappers.

It will be another season of progress in his continuing climb to the top. A trainer with strong bonds with both James and Sean Bowen helps to combine stable progress and race progress. All three work together to create a great team that unlocks every inch of a horse’s potential. 

This has been another instalment of Looking Ahead to the Jump season. We have already covered some of the biggest names in jump racing. They can be found HERE. Next up is Venetia Williams, a highly respected trainer with a Grand National winner under her belt and known for producing classy stayers.