April 16, 2005, brought the highlight of Joes Edge’s career to date when he took the Scottish Grand National at Ayr while still a novice. The success came after a thrilling duel with Cornish Rebel, which saw that horse head Joes Edge over the last fence but then falter as Ferdy Murphy’s charge rallied in the final 50 yards to record a short-head victory. It was almost three years to the day after he began his racing career with success in a Carlisle bumper. He proved to be a consistent novice hurdler the following season, winning two of his six starts and finishing runner-up twice. Switched to fences in November, 2004, he made a winning start, defeating Another Rum by nine lengths at Ayr. His next three outings saw him finish runner-up to a trio of smart individuals in Baron Windrush, Control Man and Lacdoudal, before a mistake at the 10th resulted in him being pulled up in the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase at the 2005 Cheltenham Festival, won by King Harald. He compensated for that disappointment at Aintree in April when landing the John Smith’s Novices’ Handicap Chase, before that dramatic triumph at Ayr. He rounded off a fine month at Punchestown, running second to Pay It Forward in the Betfair.com Novice Handicap Chase. The 2005/06 season was something of an anti-climax after the thrills of the previous spring. After a summer break, he reappeared at Wetherby on October 29, but unseated Keith Mercer four out in the Charlie Hall Chase won by Ollie Magern. He was then a well-beaten 11th in the following month’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup before running fourth to Royal Auclair in the Mears Group Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on December 9, and filled the same position behind Therealbandit in the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day. Joes Edge finished 13th behind War Of Attrition in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and then ran with credit to be seventh in the John Smith’s Grand National behind Numbersixvalverde. He ended his season with a below-par effort at the end of April when sixth to Ballycassidy at Perth. The 2006/07 season commenced in similar vein as the gelding came home a well-beaten seventh in the United House Gold Cup at Ascot in October and was then eighth in the totesport.com Becher Chase over the Grand National course at Aintree in November. Given a winter break, Joes Edge returned in cracking form. Sent off at 50/1, he pounced late under Graham Lee to land a scintillating last-stride victory in the Grade Three William Hill Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival on March 13.
Race Record: Starts: 27; Wins: 7; 2nd: 6; 3rd: -; Win & Place Prize Money: £194,769

Chemipetro Ltd
Based in Dudley, Worcestershire, Chris Massey is the man behind Chemipetro Ltd, the registered owner of Joes Edge. The company manufactures a range of products including pipes and fittings for the chemical, oil, gas and food industries and regularly serves the major operators, large contractors and premier fabricators in the off-shore industry. Ferdy Murphy purchased Joes Edge unbroken on behalf of Massey, who named the horse after his grandfather, and the owner was rewarded handsomely when the gelding captured the 2005 Scottish Grand National and then added the 2007 William Hill Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival. Massey also owns the hurdlers Aberdeen Park and Dans Edge (owned in conjunction with his wife Joanne), both trained by Heather Dalton, as well as the Murphy-trained maiden hurdler Sharkeys Dream.

Grand National Record: 2006 Joes Edge (7th)

Ferdy Murphy
Born November 6, 1948, Ferdy Murphy was originally apprenticed to Phonsie O’Brien, younger brother of Vincent, and became stable jockey and head lad to Paddy Mullins during a 16-year riding career that resulted in more than 100 winners. He later acted as private trainer for five years to the Durkan brothers, at the time of the great two-mile chaser Anaglogs Daughter. In September, 1985, he came over to Britain to be private trainer to the late Geoff Hubbard at Woodbridge in Suffolk and assumed the licence in 1990. He later set up on his own in Somerset before moving to Middleham to train at Robert Ogden’s stable, an association that was short-lived. He is now based at West Witton, just outside Middleham where he has 107 horses in training this year. Murphy’s best horses include Sibton Abbey who, running from 21lb out of the handicap and ridden by Adrian Maguire, won the 1992 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury, French Holly, winner of the 1998 Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle and third to Istabraq in the 1999 Smurfit Champion Hurdle, Paddy’s Return, winner of the 1996 Triumph Hurdle, the 2000 Scottish National winner Paris Pike and Ballinclay King, winner of the 2001 John Smith’s Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree. He also sent out Truckers Tavern to finish second to Best Mate in the 2003 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Joes Edge secured Murphy a second Scottish Grand National in 2005. So far this season he has notched 49 winners (as of March 25) and landed a double at the Cheltenham Festival with Joes Edge in the William Hill Trophy and the Mary Durkan-owned L’Antartique in the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase. That was his second Festival double in succession following You’re Special in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup and Hot Weld in the National Hunt Chase 12 months earlier. Grand National Record: 1999 Addington Boy (4th); 2000 Addington Boy (5th); 2001 Addington Boy (UR 2nd), Paddy’s Return (Fell 3rd), 2002 Streamstown (9th), Birkdale (10th), Paris Pike (Fell 1st), Ackzo (PU bef 20th); 2003 Ballinclay King (PU bef 15th); 2004 Luzcadou (Fell 1st); 2005 Europa (20th); 2006 Joes Edge (7th), Haute de Gamme (Fell 20th)