Middleham trainer Ferdy Murphy and fellow Irishman, teenage amateur rider John McNamara, earned themselves a profitable pay-day when combining to land a 104 to 1 four-timer at Musselburgh yesterday.
The 19-year-old jockey, who has ridden 21 winners in Ireland, almost doubled his total of British successes, as he had started the afternoon on a score of five.
He kicked off the association when Mr Lurpak landed a little touch in the first division of the Bubbly Jock Maiden Hurdle after being backed from 3 to 1 to 2 to 1. The winner was successful twice in bumpers for Mary Reveley but was claimed for £4,000 by Murphy after finishing third on the Flat at Redcar last summer.
The combination then had another tilt at the ring in the following Blether Juvenile Novices' Hurdle when Albrighton was backed from 10 to 1 down to 4 to 1 and registered an easy success.
The gelding was always travelling smoothly and led three from home to easily land the spoils, his success taking £24,000 out of the ring in major bets alone.
McNamara was again seen to great effect on the odds-on Ardrina in the Rusty Nail Novices' Chase.
An uneasy favourite, drifting from 2 to 7 to 2 to 5, the mare made most of the running but was hard pressed for much of the way by Manhattan Rainbow.
However, when Smiddy Lad fell at the 11th and badly hampered Mr Cavallo, McNamara seized the opportunity to step up the tempo on the favourite, who pinched a couple of lengths with a brilliant leap at the next.
And McNamara and Murphy went on to make it a four-timer when Shanagarry landed the Col WLM Monteith Handicap Chase by eight lengths at 4 to 1.
Half an hour earlier, the same pairing had been supported to win the Large Dram Handicap Hurdle with Joe Buzz. But the gelding could find no extra pace in the home straight and eventually finished a well-beaten second to Hunting Slane.
But Murphy was far from disconsolate about Joe Buzz's defeat, saying: "I had a four-timer about eight years ago at Worcester when I was with Geoff Hubbard. I had a £20 yankee that day which netted me 16 1/2 grand.
"I've had a Super Yankee this afternoon and unfortunately Joe Buzz just let me down but don't worry, I'm happy enough with the four-timer."
