Tuesday, 15 November 2005: Irish trainer Danny Murphy's dream of preparing the best horse in Singapore came to fruition when he won Sunday's Singpoare Gold Cup with classy English import Terfel.
Murphy, who has previously trained in Macau and Malaysia, paid a six-figure sum for Terfel at a Tattersalls sale in England in early 2004.
The Lion Cavern six-year-old is now top gun at Kranji, Murphy having taken him to Dubai early this year where he became Singapore's first winner at the international carnival.
Terfel was Murphy's first runner in a Singapore Gold Cup and gave Soo Khoon Beng, current leader of the Kranji riding premiership, his first Group One success.
It was Murphy's biggest success in 15 years of training, netting the 43-year-old a pay cheque of $S675,000 as owner and trainer of the six-year-old.
Soo became the first local jockey to win the Gold Cup in seven runnings.
Mark du Plessis had ridden the previous two winners but failed in his bid for the hat-trick when his mount Spectro Power finished fifth.
New Zealand Derby runner-up Mount Street, trained by Laurie Laxon, finished second with Light Of Success, winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in April, third.
John Powell combined with Don Baertschiger for two wins on the Gold Cup program while Aaron Spiteri and James Winks landed winners for Len Treloar and Bruce Marsh.
