Born in Killarney, County Kerry, Oisín Murphy overcame a challenging start to life after being born prematurely and weighing just 2lb 14oz. He began riding lessons on his Fourth birthday and initially aimed for a career in showjumping, a sport in which he eventually represented Ireland. His passion for racing was deeply influenced by his uncle, Jim Culloty, a legendary figure who both rode and trained winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Under Culloty’s guidance, Murphy began riding racehorses at age 14 before moving to England at 17 to join Andrew Balding’s prestigious yard.

He was crowned Champion Apprentice in 2014, just a year after his professional debut, marking the start of what was to become a meteoric rise to the top of the sport.

Shortly after this, Murphy was appointed as the retained rider for Qatar Racing, most notably partnering with the superstar Roaring Lion to win four Group 1 races in 2018.

The Kerry native has won two British Classics, the 2000 Guineas on Kameko (2020) and the 1000 Guineas on Mawj (2023) and has enjoyed enormous success beyond Britain. He has secured over 30 Group 1 wins worldwide, including the Japan Cup on Suave Richard and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Marche Lorraine.

Murphy has well and truly established himself as one of the world’s elite jockeys, earning five British Flat Jockey Championships (2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025).