Image © Healy Racing
Luke Murphy opened his account as a handler for the season when partnering his own Custodium to victory in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballyragget on Sunday.
The Curtain Time gelding made virtually all of the running in the small-field contest and ultimately eased to a ten-length success under his trainer, providing Murphy with his first winner from just his fourth runner this season.
Murphy admitted afterwards that he had been confident in the well bred four-year-old beforehand, having been pleased with his work at home.
“I fancied the horse strongly,” he said. “He always worked well and he’s a good, powerful horse. I knew he’d handle soft ground. I didn’t think he’d handle heavy, heavy ground, but he still did.”
Custodium was joined approaching four out before the race swung decisively his way when the well-fancied Doc Callaghan fell three fences from home. A further rival, Business Class, unseated his rider two out, leaving Murphy clear of the remaining challenger.
However, Murphy revealed he already felt the race was under control long before the closing stages.
“I knew I was going to win a long way out,” he explained. “I was actually looking around when we were bypassing the fence down the back the last time to see where the other two were, because I kind of thought I had Barry beaten anyway.
“All the horse could do was win. I know the race probably fell apart a bit with the heavy going, but he went and did it well.”
Custodium, who was purchased for €16,000 at the 2025 Tattersalls Derby Sale, is now likely to be aimed at the sales ring.
“He’s for sale,” Murphy confirmed. “There has been a bit of interest in him already, so we’ll see what happens. If not sold in the meantime, hopefully he might go to one of the sales, maybe Aintree.”
The victory was also notable as Custodium was Murphy’s first four-year-old runner of the season, with the 29-year-old currently handling a sizeable team of youngsters at his Gorey base.
“I actually have 16 four-year-olds altogether, so we’ve been busy getting them all ridden out and organised.
“He’s the first one to run, so it’s nice that he’s come out and done what was expected. Once you know one of them can do the job, it gives you confidence that there might be a few more there that can go and do the same.”
Murphy currently has 19 horses in work. His father John remains closely involved in the operation, riding out each day and continuing the family’s breeding tradition from their Corecannon House base.
“We keep everything fairly simple.
“I have a three-furlong gallop with heavy sand and a field with a few fences for schooling. My father rides out with me and Donal O’Connor rides out as well, and my father still keeps a few mares and breeds a couple each year.”
Murphy continues to combine training with riding and is enjoying another productive campaign in the saddle, with Custodium providing his sixth winner of the season.
Alongside running his own training operation, he also rides out regularly for several Wexford handlers including Paul and Andy Pierce, Mark Scallan and Colm Murphy.
“I ride out for a few of the lads in the mornings and then do my own horses in the afternoons,” he said. “I’ve done that for the last few seasons and it works well.”
Now in just his third season holding a handler’s licence, Murphy has increasingly focused on sourcing and producing young horses.
“Last year I had Ballyfad, who went on to win a few races and was second at the Dublin Racing Festival for Gordon Elliott, and I sold a mare called Halftheworldaway who has gone on and won as well.
“If you can buy them cheaply and produce them well, it can work out.”
With a strong team of four-year-olds still to come, Murphy is hopeful Custodium’s success could be the start of a productive spring.
“I have a horse called Ardemine that I think is very good and he should be out in a fortnight or three weeks.
“There are also a couple of Jet Away fillies going well and a few others that should run soon.
“I think Custodium is quite a special horse. Hopefully he’ll sell well and we’ll have a few more to run over the next few weeks.”
