Brewin’upastorm rolled back the years to give trainer Olly Murphy a Grade Two strike to remember in the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
Now an 11-year-old, Brewin’upastorm has mixed it with some of the best during his lengthy career with the trainer, triumphing in bumper, hurdles and chase company.
Grade One-placed as a novice hurdler at Aintree back in 2019, he subsequently embarked on a spell over fences that yielded two wins but saw him unseat his rider in the 2020 Arkle and trail home last in the Tingle Creek the following season.
Olly Murphy (left) and Jack Kennedy (right) after victory with Brewin’upastorm
Murphy has kept him to hurdles subsequently, twice winning the National Spirit at Fontwell, and this was a first trip to Ireland.
Partnered by Jack Kennedy, Brewin’upastorm was one of just four runners and with Maxxum crashing out and Thedevilscoachman failing to sparkle, it was a duel with Willie Mullins’ 5-6 favourite Zarak The Brave from the penultimate flight.
Brewin’upastorm jumped the last in front but Zarak The Brave was rallying on the run to the line, with Murphy’s raider digging deep to edge a three-quarter-length success.
Murphy was assistant to Gordon Elliott before striking out on his own in Britain and he was thrilled to secure a winner in Ireland.
He said: “I enjoyed that! He’s a very good horse on his day and he’s only good once a year, if that makes sense. He really turned up today and I thought he just outstayed Willie’s horse from the back of the last.
“Ireland has been a brilliant place for me, I spent five fantastic years here. I learned an awful lot off Gordon (Elliott) and watched Jack grow up to be the man he is today, I watched him ride his first winner.
“Coming over and taking on the best of the Irish, the way National Hunt racing is at the moment on both sides of the Irish Sea, it was something I always wanted to do – train a winner over here.
“I really enjoyed that, Ireland has been a very good place for me and to come back and have a big winner here is magic.
“I probably came over due to the lack of opportunities on our side of the sea. It’s hard to win anywhere, it’s hard to win in England let alone here. “I enjoyed that as much as any winner I’ve trained.”