Englishman Connor Murtagh found himself far from home on Saturday when venturing into the Snowy Mountains to ride at the once-a-year Adaminaby meeting.
The 23-year-old came across to Australia from Carlisle in North England and has only been with the Simon Zahra stable for the best part of a month.
Following wins at Wycheproof, Mildura, and Benalla, Craig Weeding and Andrew Dale asked Murtagh to venture into NSW, and it worked out brilliantly for everyone involved.
He booted home a winning quartet on the non-TAB program, including a victory aboard the Dale-trained Bellman ($3.20) in the $20,000 Adaminaby Cup (1400m), along with a win on stablemate Adelaide’s Diamond ($3.80) in the 1700m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
Weeding also benefited, with Murtagh winning on A Bit Racey ($5) in the 1300m Benchmark 45 Handicap and Dark Legacy ($2.30) in the 1400m Maiden Plate.
Adaminaby is a long way from Carlisle, but Murtagh was thrilled to experience the journey into Australia’s Snowy Mountains and leave with the time-honoured Snowy Hydro Adaminaby Cup.
“Honestly, I hadn’t heard of the place,” Murtagh laughed when chatting with NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
“When we were driving, it was a bit like a tour; I was being shown that this was here and there and that this area gets snowy in the winter, and you don’t really hear of Australia getting snow.
“So, to come here and to win A Snowy Hydro Cup, I didn’t think I’d be winning anything like that in Australia.”
Once-a-year meetings aren’t the norm in England, and the travelling hoop loved every bit of his Adaminaby adventure.
“I love this sort of thing,” he said.
“It’s been good to me so far, and these meetings are great because the community is behind it, and your store owners and pony riders all live locally.
“We don’t have any of this in England, but I think it’s a good thing for racing to have, and I enjoyed it today.”
On track, Murtagh was a class above his rivals on a good day’s racing, and he admitted it was a career first on many fronts.
“A day like today means the absolute world,” he said.
“That is the first time I’ve ever had a treble and four-timer in my career.
“It got to the stage back in England that I was only ever going for one or two rides, and to ride four wins today; it is an absolutely unbelievable day, and I’m grateful to Andrew and Craig for putting me up on the horses.
“I’m an unknown product here, and they’ve just seen a small sample of what I can do, and I’ve happened to get it right once or twice, and they’ve backed me ever since, and luckily for them, it’s worked out.”
Before arriving in Australia, the talented hoop spent seven years in the saddle, outriding his claiming approximately 18 months ago while bringing up 106 wins.
He boasts a good grounding in the sport, learning from leading trainer Richard Fahey, but he explained that a lack of opportunities at home forced him to look abroad to further his career.
“My dad is a small National Hunt trainer in England, and at his best time, he had about 30 to 35 horses and, in more recent times, 10 to 15, and that was my background and how I got into racing,” he said.
“I started race riding in 2017 for Richard Fahey; I was actually lucky, and my first winner was for my dad, and it was my first ride for him, but I’ve been with Richard ever since.
“I rode over 100 winners in England, but at the end, I was just doing a lot of driving in between yards and a lot of riding out for multiple trainers.
“It was about five trainers a week, and I was riding between 12 and 14 horses a day, and I had some good backing off some yards like Adrian Nicholls, who was brilliant to me, and Richard Fahey, and he gave me whatever he could as well, but I wanted more opportunities and to test myself.”
Since arriving in Australia and joining the Zahra stable, Murtagh has been in fine fettle, landing seven wins in just 22 rides.
He thanked his manager, Justin Phillips, for the early success and his connections for helping him make the move to Australia.
“Basically, my friend Nick Barratt-Atkin, who came out here a few years ago, joined the Simon Zahra stable, and he put me in touch with Cameron Cook,” he said.
“Cameron told me to come across and that he’d get me going. I’ve been here a month now, and the Zahra’s were good enough to put me in touch with Justin Phillips.
“He knew nothing about me, but he has done a brilliant job ever since; he didn’t know me, but he sold me well, got the ball rolling, and made my life a lot easier.”
Murtagh will look to enjoy his time in Australia, and if his current form is an indicator, he could be around for a lot longer.
“I’m here until at least February, and that’s what I’ve set my sights on,” he said.
“If I’m doing well enough, enjoying myself, and enjoying life, I said I’d stay for the rest of my visa, which is at least a year.”
For all results from Adaminaby, readers can click here.
