Amy Murphy has never saddled a two-year-old winner at York but is already looking forward to trying to set that record straight at next month’s Ebor Festival with Sunday’s Prix Papin winner Tokaido.
Among many other roles while gaining experience at home and abroad, Murphy was Postponed’s work rider during his Group 1-winning days at Luca Cumani’s, and she set out on her own training career in Newmarket a decade ago, saddling over 200 winners in both codes of the game across nine years.
Having had plenty of winners in France during that period, Murphy opted to shift her whole operation to Chantilly last spring and the move has evidently paid off in a big way with over 50 ‘horses in training’ currently listed on her website.
This season, along with Bloodstock Agent Matt Coleman, Murphy looks to have unearthed one who could take her to the next level, Tokaido the gelded son of Ubettabelieveit who has won his four subsequent starts since a debut second at Saint-Cloud on March 24.
His first two victories came over five furlongs at Chantilly and, having provided Murphy with her breakthrough Group-race success in last month’s Prix du Bois (G3) at Deauville, Tokaido took the step up to Group 2 level in his stride back at his local track when adding the Prix Papin to his expanding CV.
For reasons unbeknown to most – including Murphy herself – this year’s Papin eventually attracted just three runners despite there being 45 initially entered, with Tokaido joined in the field by filly Beibhinn and Windsor Castle Stakes-winning stablemate King Of Cloughan, both of whom trained by Joseph O’Brien.
What a moment for the @almracing team!
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 19, 2026
Tokaido breezes to victory in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly... pic.twitter.com/tTLTFSfXfF
O’Brien, fresh off the back of his Irish Oaks win on Saturday, is in scintillating form this season but his horses were made to play second (and third) fiddle behind what appears to be an extremely pacy juvenile – the best she’s ever trained, according to Murphy.
“He’s a lovely horse and as you see physically he’s a really good-looking horse to boot. I just hope today goes well and it doesn’t become too tactical. We’ll hopefully know more where he sits European-wise after today,” the trainer told Sky Sports Racing in a pre-race interview.
The race did predictably become tactical, Maxime Guyon aboard Beibhinn taking the trio along closely followed by Pierre-Charles Boudot on the Royal Ascot winner King Of Cloughan, but it mattered not in the end.
Tokaido’s regular rider Tony Piccone held onto his mount, who was sent off the 7/4 second-favourite, in rear before producing him in plenty of time on the outside and keeping the horse up to his work to win by two lengths.
As for where Tokaido may fit in with the best two-year-olds in Britain and Ireland, time will tell but the signs are good. He holds a Gimcrack entry (10/1 from 25s with Paddy Power) but connections have a plan and are sticking to it.
“It’s amazing, we all wanted to see him do that. I know it’s probably more like a racecourse gallop today but he’s done it well and we’re very happy," said Murphy.
“We’re just very lucky to have found him and huge thanks to these guys (owners Anoj Don and Daniel MacAuliffe) for sending him to me.”
"It's probably more like a racecourse gallop today!"
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 19, 2026
Hear from very happy connections of Tokaido, who have their sights set on a trip to York next... pic.twitter.com/4NtiErqzyY
MacAuliffe said: “We have a great team and the strategy is working. That maps out where we hope to be in our next race as well so it’s all scheduled.”
Tokaido is unable to take in the top-class Prix Morny at Deauville as geldings are not permitted to enter, Murphy confirming that York in a month’s time will be next. Not the Gimcrack, though.
“He’s going to go to the Harry’s Half Million at York in the middle of August," she said.
“I certainly think he’s maturing physically all the time, obviously it’s not that long since Deauville but you can give them those couple of quiet weeks before each race and that’s when he’s doing his maturing and I couldn’t be happier with him.”
The Harry’s Half Million By Goffs is run over six furlongs on day two of the Ebor Festival and has been won by trainer Clive Cox for the past three seasons, with William Haggas also landing it three times since 2013 and Richard Hannon responsible for a handful of winners all told including subsequent Group 1-placed filly Happy Romance.
Tokaido is already set to carry top weight at York and won’t face an easy task by any means, but his season is clearly unfolding favourably to this point and there were smiles all round in the Sunday sunshine at Chantilly, where thoughts had already turned to a trip to America in late-October.
“It’s fantastic for everybody,” said Coleman. “I bought him at the Goffs Premier yearling sale from Richard Kent and Mickley Stud. He’s by his own stallion Ubettabelieveit so it’s fantastic. I’m just delighted for Dan and Anoj, they’re such wonderful supporters of mine and of Amy’s. They’ve been in the game a long time.
“When he didn’t go to Royal Ascot we set out a six-race plan for him and he’s won the first three – so he’s got three more to go and we’ll try and end up at the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Turf Sprint) if we can.”
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