THE son of a legendary Grand National-winning jockey is being tipped to land his uncle a £60,000 winner – from bets placed when he was just two months old.
Timmy Murphy conquered Cheltenham with eight Festival wins including the 2008 Ryanair on the iconic Our Vic.
EPATimmy Murphy celebrates winning the 2008 Grand National on Comply Or Die – now his jockey son Lucas is being tipped to reach the top of the riding ranks[/caption]
Lucas won the Shetland Pony Grand National at Chepstow in 2018 in the same silks his dad wore at Aintree – and could bring his uncle a £50,000 winner if he wins the real thing thanks to bets placed when he was just two months old
The son of the legendary Grand National-winning rider has been impressing riding out for Richard Hannon – but it’s a career over jumps that’s beckoning
A month later he would give the bookies an ‘absolute stinker’ to the tune of £7million with victory at Aintree on the heavily-backed Comply Or Die.
William Hill traders were ‘on their knees’ as the David Pipe-trained runner surged home to land a monster gamble.
Victory marked a Lazarus-like rise for the jockey who in 2002 spent 84 days in Wormwood Scrubs prison after being found guilty of indecently assaulting an air stewardess on a flight from Tokyo to Heathrow.
In a revealing interview last year he said he watches most of the big races from home now.
But that could soon change after the Racing Post reported his son Lucas, 16, has officially joined the riding ranks.
He has been riding out for multiple Group 1-winning trainer Richard Hannon and has raced three times in all this season.
But a couple weeks spent at the yards of National Hunt handlers Dan Skelton and Fergal O’Brien have convinced him that’s the route to go down.
Dad Timmy thinks his boy is ‘mad’ for wanting to go over jumps alongside the likes of Harry Cobden and Harry Skelton.
But the news is being welcomed by proud uncle Dominic, brother of Murphy’s ex-wife Verity.
He placed two £100 bets with William Hill, one at 500-1 on Lucas winning the Grand National and the other at 100-1 for him to ride a Cheltenham Festival winner.
Incredibly, both bets were struck when Lucas – who won the Shetland Pony Grand National in 2018 – was just two months old and they return a massive £60,000 in all.
The story is reminiscent of Rory McIlroy’s dad Gerry putting £200 on his then 15-year-old son winning The Open within the next ten years at odds of 500-1.
Gerry, who put £100 of his own money down and £100 of a mate’s, walked off £50,000 up when McIlroy won at Hoylake in 2014.
Speaking of his son’s talents in the saddle, Timmy said: “He’s mad to go jumping, I was pushing him more towards the Flat but I think he’ll be too heavy.
“He spent a week with Fergal O’Brien and another week at Dan Skelton’s, and that’s the way he wants to go.”
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