Newmill had a somewhat chequered career, showing high-class form as a young horse for Tom O’Leary before going a bit quiet, only to roar back into Grade 1-winning form for John Murphy not long after. A very classy performer on his day, he proved generally consistent and generated a vast sum of prize money for his lucky connections.
Trainer: John Murphy
Principal Jockeys: Robbie Power, Andrew McNamara, Barry Geraghty
Grade 1 Wins: Kerrygold Champion Chase (2006), Queen Mother Champion Chase (2006), Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (2003)
Early Days
A €24,000 purchase, Newmill began his career in the care of Tom O’Leary. He couldn’t have made a better start to his racecourse career, winning the lucrative Land Rover Bumper at Fairyhouse on his racecourse debut in April 2003. He showed an altogether more unsavoury side to his character on his next appearance in a bumper at Tipperary in October 2003, putting in an erratic display that saw him run off the bends and finish tailed off. He soon got back to winning ways when sent over hurdles, winning a maiden at Wexford before finishing second to Accordion Etoile in a Grade 3 contest at Navan the following month. Three weeks later, he showed himself to be a high-class novice when winning the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse and less than a fortnight later, he added the Grade 2 Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle at Navan to his tally. While he met with defeat on his next two starts, including at the hands of Brave Inca in the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown, he returned to winning ways in the Johnstown Novice Hurdle at Naas. That would prove to be his final start of what was a lucrative novice hurdling campaign, but hopes were high that he would rise to the top of the novice chasing ranks in 2004/5.
Chasing Calls
Considered one of the most promising chasing prospects in the country, Newmill’s novice chase campaign did not really deliver on those expectations. Having won a maiden chase at Clonmel, he could only add a workmanlike success in the Grade 2 Paddy Fitzpatrick Memorial Novice Chase at Leopardstown in January 2005 to his tally, also proving very disappointing in three starts at either side of that latter win. After a particularly disappointing run in the Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase at Naas in February, he was switched to the care of John Murphy and while he made a disappointing debut for that trainer at the Punchestown Festival, the following season would see him recapture his old spark.
Murphy Takes The Reins
Keen to start afresh with the horse, Murphy used a lot of what he had learned in the show jumping industry to help Newmill rediscover his confidence and it wasn’t long before the results began to show, with two solid runs in high-class hurdles being followed by a win in the Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles in January 2006. Better still was to come just two months later, as Newmill gained an unexpected but spectacular nine lengths win in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, very much confirming his return to the top of his game. The following month, Newmill proved that his success at Cheltenham was no fluke, as he tasted further Grade 1 glory in the Kerrygold Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival.
Murphy gave Newmill a more patient campaign in 2006/7, with him having just three starts before Cheltenham, winning the Grade 2 Red Mills Hurdle at Gowran Park on the last of them. The following month, Newmill could only find fourth to Voy Por Ustedes in his attempt to retain his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown. Unfortunately, with Murphy’s team under a cloud for a number of seasons after that campaign, Newmill would fail to win for a number of seasons, for all that he did acquit himself well to finish fifth in the Champion Chase in 2008 and an even better fourth in the 2009 renewal of that race. That latter run would signal a return to form for both Newmill and indeed the Murphy yard and he would soon return to close to his best.
Back To Form
Now an 11-year-old, Newmill began the 2009/10 campaign with his first-ever run in handicap chase company at Cork in October. He made a brave bid to make all the running, but found the lightly-weighted Keys Pride ¾-length too good for him. He followed that run up with another solid effort in a valuable conditions chase at the November meeting at Cheltenham, finishing fourth to Well Chief. 10 weeks later he returned to Graded company in the Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles and under a more patient ride, he emerged the cosy three lengths winner, gaining his first win in almost three years. Unfortunately, injury intervened soon after and that would prove to be his final start for Murphy. He has been a lucrative servant to his connections for many years, winning 12 of his 43 races and accumulating over €650,000 in prize money.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
