Murphy eyeing Naas jackpot

TRAINER Joe Murphy has a strong hand in the final of the Irish EBF Auction Series, which will be run at Naas on Sunday, October 13th.

The Murphy-trained Cercene (a €50,000 purchase) was a course and distance winner at Naas last week. “Cercene may be a contender in the Irish EBF Series Finale, but I have two others in it as well,” Murphy said.

“I have Vervain, which is an Acclamation filly, and she will love an ease in the ground and she’s probably more of a three-year-old, but we love her. She’s an improving sort. And we also have Shiota.

“So we’re delighted to have three nice fillies in it. And it’s a wonderful race to have for the medium-priced horses that you can get a chance in and win good prize money, because if you get good prize money in those sort of races, EBF races and you have individual owners or shareholders, they all come back to purchase again at the following year sales.”

Murphy added: “That’s the great thing about it. There’s no other game that you could buy a horse for six or seven grand and you could win this sort of prize money, it’s like a lottery ticket. And everyone that buys a lottery ticket must feel they have a chance. And the EBF does that.”

A total of 30 different trainers are represented at the early closing stage for the Irish EBF Auction Series Finale and 15 of the remaining entries were purchased last year for €10,000 or less.

Connections of qualified horses will get an early opportunity at a big prize in the €50,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Nursery Handicap at Cork next Tuesday.

Nessa Joyce, Irish EBF manager, said: “It is incredible to be marking two significant milestones this year, 10 years of the Irish EBF Auction Series and over €6 million in prize money given out to a large cross section of the industry.”

Top jockeys on sidelines

TOP jump jockeys Jack Kennedy and Rachael Blackmore are both sidelined through injury. Blackmore suffered a neck injury at Downpatrick last Friday and is expected to be out for several weeks. Kennedy injured ribs in a tumble at Listowel on Wednesday.

Hayes leads Bellewstown series

AMY Jo Hayes holds a useful lead in the Barney Curley DAFA Apprentice Series, which concludes at Bellewstown on Wednesday. The six-race bursary programme is restricted to apprentices, who have ridden less than 20 winners at the start of the 2024 turf season. The winner will receive €2,000 plus tuition from a jockey coach, high performance coach, sports psychologist and free financial advice.