Colm Murray

The Good Fight scores knockout in Rotorua Cup

Posted on May 16, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Consistent New Zealand stayer The Good Fight left his race rivals in his wake as he scooted clear in the home straight to take out the Group 3 Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) at Arawa Park on Saturday. The six-year-old son of High Chaparral was having just his second run after a summer break following[...]

Posted on May 3, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Class New Zealand gallopers Jennifer Eccles and Two Illicit furthered their preparations for upcoming Queensland Winter Carnival assignments in Australia with separate exhibition gallops during the Te Rapa racemeeting on Saturday. Last season's Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Jennifer Eccles was having her first serious hit-out off the back of a decent[...]

Posted on February 17, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Progressive three-year-old Shockallia will not contest the Group 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) but could be seen in Classic races later in the season according to trainer Shaune Ritchie, who prepares the son of Shocking in partnership with Colm Murray. “He got a very deep-seated stone bruise basically the day after his Te Rapa[...]

Posted on February 4, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

A number of contenders for the Group 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 6 were in action at Te Rapa on Wednesday, where Derby favourite Rocket Spade pleased connections when running second over 2100m, lumping eight kilograms more than victorious older rival Vedo Rosso. The son of Fastnet Rock will now[...]

Posted on January 29, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Trainer Shaune Ritchie couldn't wait to get his toes in the sand at Waitarere Beach as he went about putting the final touches on his four stable runners set to compete at the Wellington Cup meeting at Trentham this Saturday. Ritchie is a firm believer in the benefits that beach work can provide for travelling[...]

Posted on January 8, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Shaune Ritchie is heading into the Listed Japac Homes Marton Cup (2200m) at Awapuni with The Good Fight on Saturday in a buoyant mood. His six-year-old gelding heads into the race in a fresh state, after his fifth-placing in the Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) in November, and he said there are a number[...]

Posted on December 9, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

A dose of the real world and some time to clear his mind has proved the catalyst for talented apprentice jockey Wiremu Pinn to make his way back to racing, and the 22-year-old is keen to grasp the opportunity with both hands. A once troubled South Auckland teen, Pinn's first exposure to horses came via[...]

Posted on November 26, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray have a staying filly of the future on their hands with Samina Bibi, a daughter of in-vogue stallion Reliable Man, an impressive debut winner at Te Rapa. Ridden by apprentice Wiremu Pinn, Samina Bibi sat three-deep throughout but bounded away from her rivals in the BCD Group 3YO[...]

Posted on November 20, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Shaune Ritchie is confident Jennifer Eccles will put her best foot forward in Saturday's Group 2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe. Last season's Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner had a brief freshen-up following a below par run in the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) won by Melody Belle.[...]

Posted on October 19, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Progressive galloper Swords Drawn threw his hat into the ring for some of the upcoming summer staying features when he stormed home from near last to score impressively over 1600m to close out this year's Hawke's Bay Spring carnival. Placed twice in stakes company as a three-year-old, the now five-year-old Camelot gelding has always looked[...]

Posted on September 29, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Quality mare Jennifer Eccles has pleased her trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray ahead of Saturday's Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings. The popular galloper has never finished worse than fourth in her 12 career starts and caught the eye when finishing into that placing in the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) when[...]

Posted on August 24, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

The newly minted training partnership of Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray put their first winner on the board at Matamata on Saturday when Claiborne strode clear in the final stages of a 1600m contest to score a convincing victory. Born and bred Irishman Murray joined Ritchie's Cambridge operation over two years ago with Ritchie inviting[...]

Posted on August 12, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Shaune Ritchie has resisted the temptation to campaign last season's Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Jennifer Eccles in Sydney, despite receiving a travel exemption to do so. Ritchie, who trains in partnership with Colm Murray at Cambridge, has elected to target Group One assignments at the Hawke's Bay Spring Carnival instead. “We have[...]

Posted on August 6, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Shaune Ritchie was beaming after Jennifer Eccles' 1050m trial at Ruakaka on Tuesday. He was delighted to see last season's Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner relax in her heat and run on well to finish fourth against a quality line-up. “We are delighted with her,” said Ritchie, who trains in partnership with Colm[...]

Posted on July 1, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie is likely to have runners before the end of the season but his stable has yet to be represented at any of the four northern trials meetings since the COVID-19 hiatus. “I think we will have runners this season,” Ritchie said. “I just couldn't get them ready in that amount of[...]

Posted on March 15, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

A special moment at Trentham on Saturday had added meaning for two of the major players involved in Jennifer Eccles' spectacular Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) triumph. Trainer Shaune Ritchie has confirmed that the Rip Van Winkle filly's handler Colm Murray will be joining him in a new training partnership[...]

The Good Fight scores knockout in Rotorua Cup

Top New Zealand mares ready for Queensland challenge

Ritchie taking conservative approach with Classic hopefuls

Derby prospects on show at Te Rapa

Life’s a beach for Ritchie as he gets set for Trentham features

The Good Fight primed for Marton Cup

Pinn appreciative of racing reprieve

Samina Bibi ideal Oaks type

Breeders’ Stakes performance to dictate Jennifer’s path

Swords Drawn ready to go to the next level

Jennifer on trial for Melbourne at Hawke’s Bay

New partnership on the board with stylish victory at Matamata

Hastings targets for Jennifer Eccles

Oaks winner pleases in Ruakaka

Ritchie making spring contingency plans

Murray soon to play official role in Ritchie success

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