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| One Bet Turns a Stablehand Into a Stable Owner | One Bet Turns a Stablehand Into a Stable Owner |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| GOSHEN, Ky. — Last spring, Conor Murphy was a hired hand who spent his days galloping racehorses, combing knotted manes and shoveling manure in a stable in Berkshire, England. | GOSHEN, Ky. — Last spring, Conor Murphy was a hired hand who spent his days galloping racehorses, combing knotted manes and shoveling manure in a stable in Berkshire, England. |
| Mr. Murphy, 29, knew his horses well. He was able to tell which ones were on their toes and which ones needed a little more care. He also knew his way around a betting window. On a hunch, he bet $75 on five of his favorites. It was the sort of desperate stab that only a man who loves horses would make. | Mr. Murphy, 29, knew his horses well. He was able to tell which ones were on their toes and which ones needed a little more care. He also knew his way around a betting window. On a hunch, he bet $75 on five of his favorites. It was the sort of desperate stab that only a man who loves horses would make. |
| But he won — big. His $75 bet paid more than $1.5 million, enough to put down the shovel and become his own boss. | But he won — big. His $75 bet paid more than $1.5 million, enough to put down the shovel and become his own boss. |
| Now he lives in Kentucky, training horses for some of the most prominent figures in racing. On Saturday, he will be at the Kentucky Derby, rooting for Lines of Battle, a horse owned by one of his clients. | Now he lives in Kentucky, training horses for some of the most prominent figures in racing. On Saturday, he will be at the Kentucky Derby, rooting for Lines of Battle, a horse owned by one of his clients. |
| “Pure luck,” Mr. Murphy said of his life-changing wager. His past year reads like something out of a movie script, and his big bet has become the stuff of lore for gamblers from the backsides of American racetracks to the training yards of England and Ireland. | “Pure luck,” Mr. Murphy said of his life-changing wager. His past year reads like something out of a movie script, and his big bet has become the stuff of lore for gamblers from the backsides of American racetracks to the training yards of England and Ireland. |
| When he moved to Kentucky, he paid cash for a house in an affluent suburb of Louisville, then leased a barn here at the Skyline Training Center, hanging out his shingle to train horses for other owners. Now he has 25 horses to train, mostly 2-year-olds just starting their racing careers. | When he moved to Kentucky, he paid cash for a house in an affluent suburb of Louisville, then leased a barn here at the Skyline Training Center, hanging out his shingle to train horses for other owners. Now he has 25 horses to train, mostly 2-year-olds just starting their racing careers. |
| Some things have not changed for Mr. Murphy: he still rises before dawn, still mucks stalls and still walks his horses for hours on end. He also bathes them himself. | Some things have not changed for Mr. Murphy: he still rises before dawn, still mucks stalls and still walks his horses for hours on end. He also bathes them himself. |
| It is much the same routine from his days in England and Ireland. But it feels very different, he said. | |
| “This is mine — my business and my dream,” he said. “I have worked for this since I was a lad.” | “This is mine — my business and my dream,” he said. “I have worked for this since I was a lad.” |
| It was Mr. Murphy’s father who turned him into a horseman; he had horses that he trained and raced at the small meetings around his home in Cork, Ireland. Conor Murphy said he wanted to be a jockey but was forced to reconsider after shooting past 6 feet tall as a teenager. | It was Mr. Murphy’s father who turned him into a horseman; he had horses that he trained and raced at the small meetings around his home in Cork, Ireland. Conor Murphy said he wanted to be a jockey but was forced to reconsider after shooting past 6 feet tall as a teenager. |
| He focused on the care and conditioning of racehorses instead, and pursued his craft with a single-minded focus. He worked in Ireland and England’s yards, as the training centers are called, first with steeplechase horses on the National Hunt circuit. In his 20s he came to Kentucky to work on thoroughbreds with Niall O’Callaghan and then David Carroll, fellow Irishmen who had flourished in American racing. | He focused on the care and conditioning of racehorses instead, and pursued his craft with a single-minded focus. He worked in Ireland and England’s yards, as the training centers are called, first with steeplechase horses on the National Hunt circuit. In his 20s he came to Kentucky to work on thoroughbreds with Niall O’Callaghan and then David Carroll, fellow Irishmen who had flourished in American racing. |
| Mr. Murphy said he fell hard for Louisville, and even harder for a girl from Ohio named Julia Hawley. “I knew I wanted this to be my home,” he said. | Mr. Murphy said he fell hard for Louisville, and even harder for a girl from Ohio named Julia Hawley. “I knew I wanted this to be my home,” he said. |
| But when he was offered a job with Nicky Henderson, one of England’s most renowned National Hunt trainers, Mr. Murphy returned to Britain to work at Mr. Henderson’s training center near Lambourn, in Berkshire. But four years in Mr. Henderson’s stables went by faster than the money in his bank account was accumulating. | But when he was offered a job with Nicky Henderson, one of England’s most renowned National Hunt trainers, Mr. Murphy returned to Britain to work at Mr. Henderson’s training center near Lambourn, in Berkshire. But four years in Mr. Henderson’s stables went by faster than the money in his bank account was accumulating. |
| Mr. Murphy says he does not bet often, but that he can recognize opportunity when it comes. In December 2011, he thought that five horses he had been working with in Mr. Henderson’s stable were training extremely well. Each was slated to run in March at the Cheltenham Festival in Gloucestershire. | Mr. Murphy says he does not bet often, but that he can recognize opportunity when it comes. In December 2011, he thought that five horses he had been working with in Mr. Henderson’s stable were training extremely well. Each was slated to run in March at the Cheltenham Festival in Gloucestershire. |
| Trying not to let his fondness for the horses cloud his judgment, he played a five-horse “accumulator” through his online betting account. | Trying not to let his fondness for the horses cloud his judgment, he played a five-horse “accumulator” through his online betting account. |
| Then he forgot about it. | Then he forgot about it. |
| The odds at the time of the bet were long on each horse: Sprinter Sacre (10-1), Simonsig (14-1), Bobs Worth (10-1), Finian’s Rainbow (8-1) and Riverside Theatre (9-1). That all five would win was, well, nearly impossible — about “163,350-to-1,” said a spokesman for Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaking firm. | The odds at the time of the bet were long on each horse: Sprinter Sacre (10-1), Simonsig (14-1), Bobs Worth (10-1), Finian’s Rainbow (8-1) and Riverside Theatre (9-1). That all five would win was, well, nearly impossible — about “163,350-to-1,” said a spokesman for Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaking firm. |
| When the Cheltenham Festival arrived, Mr. Murphy was especially focused on the prospects for Finian’s Rainbow. He had been with the horse throughout his jumping career and had ridden him every day. Twice before, Mr. Murphy had gone to Cheltenham with Finian’s Rainbow. Twice, they had lost. | When the Cheltenham Festival arrived, Mr. Murphy was especially focused on the prospects for Finian’s Rainbow. He had been with the horse throughout his jumping career and had ridden him every day. Twice before, Mr. Murphy had gone to Cheltenham with Finian’s Rainbow. Twice, they had lost. |
| “I’d been involved with the horse for four years and always believed that he was a great horse,” Mr. Murphy said. | “I’d been involved with the horse for four years and always believed that he was a great horse,” Mr. Murphy said. |
| This time Finian’s Rainbow cleared all 12 jumps and won the two-mile race. It was not until late into a night of celebrating that Mr. Murphy realized that Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig and Bobs Worth had also been winners. | This time Finian’s Rainbow cleared all 12 jumps and won the two-mile race. It was not until late into a night of celebrating that Mr. Murphy realized that Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig and Bobs Worth had also been winners. |
| There was still one race to go, involving a horse named Riverside Theatre. More than a year later, Mr. Murphy shivers when he sees the replay of Riverside Theatre starting slowly, looking hopelessly beat. | There was still one race to go, involving a horse named Riverside Theatre. More than a year later, Mr. Murphy shivers when he sees the replay of Riverside Theatre starting slowly, looking hopelessly beat. |
| “He had jumped a couple of fences and I thought he’d probably pull up,” Mr. Murphy said. | “He had jumped a couple of fences and I thought he’d probably pull up,” Mr. Murphy said. |
| Instead, Riverside Theatre lumbered along, working into contention by the final jump, and passing two rivals in a long and desperate stretch run to win by a head. Just like that, Mr. Murphy now had the money to quit his job and return to Kentucky. | Instead, Riverside Theatre lumbered along, working into contention by the final jump, and passing two rivals in a long and desperate stretch run to win by a head. Just like that, Mr. Murphy now had the money to quit his job and return to Kentucky. |
| Before he moved last summer, however, he bought three modestly priced horses in England: Dimension, Bronterre and Mon Ami Jolie. | Before he moved last summer, however, he bought three modestly priced horses in England: Dimension, Bronterre and Mon Ami Jolie. |
| They are not going to make him a millionaire — for a second time — but they are the foundation on which he is building his career as a trainer. | They are not going to make him a millionaire — for a second time — but they are the foundation on which he is building his career as a trainer. |
| So far, he has a victory, a second and a third-place finish in 10 starts. “I knew I had to show people what I could do first to attract clients,” Mr. Murphy said. | So far, he has a victory, a second and a third-place finish in 10 starts. “I knew I had to show people what I could do first to attract clients,” Mr. Murphy said. |
| Mr. Murphy’s days have not gotten any shorter, but he says he smiles more as he drives back and forth from the house he owns and the business he has started. This year he treated his brother in Ireland and some cousins from Boston to Kentucky Derby tickets. | Mr. Murphy’s days have not gotten any shorter, but he says he smiles more as he drives back and forth from the house he owns and the business he has started. This year he treated his brother in Ireland and some cousins from Boston to Kentucky Derby tickets. |
| On a recent afternoon, he pointed to a horse he had worked with briefly, a muscled Malibu Moon colt with a shimmering coat that is testament to his strength. Malibu Moon belongs to Sheik Fahad bin Abdullah al-Thani of Qatar’s royal family, and he will be trained by Graham Motion, who prepared last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom. | On a recent afternoon, he pointed to a horse he had worked with briefly, a muscled Malibu Moon colt with a shimmering coat that is testament to his strength. Malibu Moon belongs to Sheik Fahad bin Abdullah al-Thani of Qatar’s royal family, and he will be trained by Graham Motion, who prepared last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom. |
| “Someday,” Mr. Murphy said, “I’ll saddle my own Kentucky Derby winner.” | “Someday,” Mr. Murphy said, “I’ll saddle my own Kentucky Derby winner.” |