Colm Murray

Born-and-bred Irishman Colm Murray joined Shaune Ritchie’s Cambridge stable in 2018 and the talented horseman is an integral member of the team.

“Colm is a natural horseman and he has that way about him that I think only the Kiwis and the Irish have with their horses,” Ritchie said.

“He gets to the stable each morning before me and is very keen and is exactly the right type of person that is great for racing and for our stable.

“We have a wonderful bunch of staff and he fits in very well.

“He is particularly good with the clients and they enjoy his company.

“When you are away from home you want someone like Colm at home looking after the team as it gives you real peace of mind.”

A former jumps jockey in his homeland, Murray made his way to New Zealand where he worked for another Cambridge trainer in Mark Forbes before finding his way to Ritchie. “He transferred over to us after leaving Mark’s stable and fitted in straight away,” Ritchie said

Wife Mallory (who is the broodmare manager at Cambridge Stud) and their young daughter (Evelyne) are a big part of Colm’s support team.

Q&A from Love Racing |

From being the proud strapper of Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai NZ Oaks winner, Jennifer Eccles, Colm Murray is now the training partner of Shaune Ritchie. We caught up with Colm to chat about his role…

How did you get involved in racing?

We always had ponies growing up. I first went to ride racehorses for Denis Quinn one summer and just loved it. I joined the racing academy before getting my jockey’s licence. I rode a couple of winners, but decided to concentrate on the training side of things.

Trainers rise early! What motivates you to get up in the morning?

Getting out to see the horses. We have 30-something 2-year-olds in our barn and although not many are racing yet, it’s so exciting to see all the young stock coming through. Every day you walk into the barn, you’re seeing progress.

In your eyes, what make the NZ Oaks such a great race?

The trip, the atmosphere, the big Trentham track – when they jump and get around that first bend. When Jennifer (Eccles) won the race, she drew barrier 18. She jumped, got across and was given a beautiful trip. The way she finished off the mile and a half was pure magic.

How has life changed for you since getting becoming Shaune’s training partner?

Busy! I get to enjoy new tasks – doing interviews like this for example! I enjoy talking to the owners, making decisions with Shaune, there’s more to think about than just putting the horses on the walker and tacking them up. We have a great team of staff which makes our job a lot easier.

What advice would you give to someone looking to enter the racing industry?

Work hard and keep working. Take any opportunity you can get. Keep your head down and it will pay off – it did for me.