Champion Hurdle winner to quit training for financial reasons

Colm Murphy, who has enjoyed multiple big-race successes with hurdlers and chasers during a 16-year training career, has announced he is quitting training for financial reasons.

The 42-year-old, who landed the 2006 Champion Hurdle with his ten-time Grade 1 winner Brave Inca, said: "We had a lot of great days and big-race wins but it's been very difficult over the past few years to make training pay, and after giving it much consideration my background in accountancy told me that we just can't make it pay any more.

"It wasn't an easy decision to make but in the end it was down to financial reasons. It's being hanging over us for the past couple of years and, looking at the situation realistically, I decided now was the time. My last runner will probably be Black Zambezi at Gowran Park next Saturday.