Colm Murphy's Champion Chase winner Big Zeb© Photo Healy Racing
Colm Murphy returned to the winners' enclosure with point-to-point winner Es Perfecto at Tattersalls Farm on Sunday and the four year old gelding is to sell today at Cheltenham Sales as part of the trainer's new business model.
Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase winning trainer Murphy was last successful with Killiney Court in August 2016 before retiring from training.
The Co Wexford trainer recently returned to the ranks with two unplaced horses and on Sunday sent Es Perfecto to easily win his 4yo maiden by 12 lengths. Es Perfecto was himself just four days olds when Murphy sent out his previous point-to-point runner Dylanseoghan, a winner of his point to point at Kildorrery on February 22, 2015.
Murphy reports “we have a new business model going forwards. We have a lot of broodmares and the plan is to hang on to the fillies and sell the geldings and Es Perfecto is the first horse to sell from this new plan.
“Paul McKeon has been an owner with me for years and is a big investor. We sourced Relegate before she won the Cheltenham Festival Bumper and the plan from now is to become a more commercial breeding operation.
“We were previously outsourcing the training but I'm doing that in-house now and also have a few outside owners. New owners are also welcome.
“We will be very quiet with only a handful of horses for the track but we have an awful lot, maybe 30 horses, for the point-to-points. They are all for sale and we also have a couple of nice fillies for the track.”
Regarding Es Pecfecto, he added “he seems a really nice horse and has always worked like a good horse. He sells later today at 4.45pm as Lot 54 in the Cheltenham Sale.”
