NOT A CIRCUS AT ALL! BARGAIN BUY PUTS MURRAY BACK ON TOP

SEND in the clowns!

Well-named filly Where’s The Circus (by Trapeze Artist) provided the perfect distraction to Paul Murray’s woes when she made a stunning debut at Royal Randwick yesterday.

The Kembla Grange trainer clinched only his second win of the season when the $51 bolter ($151 was bet) – a $1250 yearling purchase online through Inglis Digital 15 months ago – beat a number of high-priced rivals in the $400,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m), giving her connections an immediate $227,000 return on their meagre outlay.

Ridden by Jean Van Overmeire, who had partnered her in a 800m home track trial on December 2, the filly burnt along in front and comfortably defeated Internal Affairs ($440,000 yearling) and Regal Hustle ($35,000).

Murray’s first winner of the season was Gooloo Bucky at Moruya in early August, and he admitted today that he has contemplated pulling the plug on his training career.

“It’s been a long road and getting harder, and very difficult to get owners,” Murray said.

“We bought a few yearlings last season, and I told my mother earlier in the year that if things didn’t pick up with them I would give it away. My partner Michelle (Ritchie) has already given up training."

“A number of our older horses came to the end of their runs, and we lost our good mare

Welcometobarbados (five wins from nine starts) with a tendon injury."

“To win that race yesterday was a terrific result for Michelle and myself and our owners. We had Where’s The Circus’ dam Misplaced (who died in January) first two foals Where’s Snippy and Can’t Find Snippy (by Snippetson) and won three races with each.

“When we saw this filly advertised online in September last year, we had to buy her. One of our owners David Badger also saw her advertised and was adamant we should try to get her.”

Murray gave ProvincialRacingNSW readers a good lead to Where’s The Circus’ prospects last

Wednesday when he said she was “a very athletic filly who goes allright and would give them something to catch”.

He reported Where’s The Circus had pulled up “enormous” and was enjoying a paddock at Berry on the South Coast.

Whilst the filly wasn’t entered for the $5m Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill

Gardens in March, she is eligible for the Inglis bonus races.

That includes the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Royal Randwick on February 7.

“Everyone is telling us that’s the race we should aim for,” Murray said.

“Obviously it’s on the radar, but we will let Where’s The Circus tell us in terms of her progress. For now we’ll enjoy a fantastic result yesterday.”

Perhaps it was fitting that the trainer and jockey should win a good race at Randwick as they were to have teamed with Welcometobarbados in the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) there in April.

Welcometobarbados had won a Newcastle Qualifier (1400m), defeating Lord Of Biscay and Matcha Latte, who in her absence then ran the quinella in the Final in reverse order.

Murray was on the road again today with another roughie, this time to Nowra for a $50,000

Showcase Super Maiden Plate (1100m).

Vantante, a three-year-old Vancouver filly, was the rank outsider at $151 and ran third to leading Kembla Grange trainers Rob and Luke Price’s Century Song ($3.90), who broke through after five minor placings.

Team Price had also scored earlier with Devine Outcast ($3.40) in the Class 2 Handicap (1600m). Brock Ryan rode both winners.

Fellow Kembla Grange trainer Anthony Mountney also was successful with a bolter at yesterday’s Newcastle meeting on the inner Beaumont track.

King Charles ($41), a $16,000 online buy in 2022 and ridden by Amy McLucas, took the 5YO & Up Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1150m) from Oakfield Duke ($7.50) and Etched In Time ($4.60).

It was the seven-year-old Myboycharlie gelding’s eighth victory from 43 starts.

Story by John Curtis, 14 December, 2025. Photo by Bradley Photos.