Murphy, Stan

A farmer’s son, Thomas Stanislaus Murphy was born in Co. Tipperary on August 24, 1941 and was apprenticed to John Oxx and Tim Hyde. His first winner was Touraileen, trained by Oxx, in a five-furlong apprentices’ race at the Curragh on May 9, 1956.His major wins as a jump jockey in Ireland included the Thyestes Chase on Great Lark, trained by Willie O'Grady, in 1968 and the Powers Gold Cup (now the Ryanair Gold Cup) on Bold Fencer, trained by Phonsie O'Brien, in the same year. He rode Corrie-Vacoul to win the Benson & Hedges Chase in 1966 and Our Phil to land the Irish Gallaher Hurdle in 1969.

In 1968 he moved to Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham to join Arthur Stephenson, for whom he won the Cheltenham Hurdle (now the International Hurdle) and the Wills Hurdle on Celtic Gold, and the Mildmay Chase (now the Maghull Chase) at Aintree on Rainbow Cottage, all in 1969. That was a particularly successful year – he rode four winners at Southwell on June 9, 1969.

He enjoyed the biggest win of his career in November 1973 when partnering Skymas, trained by Brian Lusk, to win the Mackeson Gold Cup at Cheltenham. That same year he had ridden Skymas to finish second in the Irish Grand National and to win the Drogheda Chase and the Free Handicap Chase, both at Punchestown.

A month after his Mackeson Gold Cup success, on December 1, 1973, Stan cracked his collarbone in a fall at Naas. The car taking him to hospital crashed after skidding on an icy road near Cashel. The driver, Mary Hyde, was killed instantly. Stan received serious head injuries which badly affected his balance. He never rode again.

He died suddenly, aged 76, in Waterford Regional Hospital on the night of Friday, April 27 2018, having undergone surgery for colon cancer.