Skip to content
Contact & Pitch

Desert Friend: horse profile, stats, records and next races

Desert Friend is a 10-year-old gelding by Universal, trained by P J F Murphy. He has won 4 of 50 starts and placed in 6 more, for £1,835 in prize money. His best trip is 1m 6f, where 1 win from 4 is a 25% strike rate against 7% at every other distance. He runs next in the 3:36 at Thurles on 8 October. His best performance rating is 111, which is the figure to judge him against in this grade.

  • Runs 50
  • Wins 4
  • Placed 10
  • Strike rate 8%
  • Prize money £1,835
  • Best rating 111
  • Official rating 55

Where Desert Friend runs next

Time Course Race Best price
3:36 Thurles Welcome Back To Thurles Handicap —

Desert Friend form and race record

Date Course Race Dist Going Pos Beaten SP Jockey OR
27 Aug 26 Navan (IRE) Racing Next At Navan On Saturday September 5th Handicap 1m 6f Good 16 18.25 33/1 Chris Hayes 55
27 Jul 26 Galway (IRE) EASYFIX Iggy Daly Handicap Hurdle 2m 0.5f Good 20 41.25 33/1 J J Slevin 104
20 Jul 26 Ballinrobe (IRE) Racing, Sports & Games At Tote.ie Apprentice Handicap 1m 5f Good To Yielding 4 10.5 16/1 Conor Cusack 57
2 Jul 26 Bellewstown McNallys Pharmacy Apprentice Handicap (0-60) 1m 6.5f Good 4 8.75 28/1 Conor Cusack 58
7 Jun 26 Navan Cusack Hotel Group Family Raceday July 11th Handicap (0-60) (Div 1) 1m 5f Good 12 17.25 11/1 Chris Hayes 59
31 May 26 Listowel Lane Family Memorial Handicap 2m Good 9 8.75 12/1 Conor Cusack 60
3 May 26 Sligo Tote.ie Apprentice Handicap (0-60) 1m 6f Yielding To Soft 1 — 15/2 Conor Cusack 52
11 Apr 26 Bellewstown Paddy Woods Memorial Apprentice Handicap 1m 3.5f Soft 9 27.5 7/2 Conor Cusack 52
10 Apr 26 Dundalk (AW) View Restaurant Summer Offer Handicap (0-60) 1m 4f Standard 3 3.75 4/1J Chris Hayes 52
27 Mar 26 Dundalk (AW) Mid-Week Easter Break Racing Wednesday 1st April Handicap (0-60) 2m Standard 1 — 13/2 Chris Hayes 48
6 Mar 26 Dundalk (AW) Willie Buckley Memorial Apprentice Handicap (0-60) 1m 4f Standard 11 6.25 14/1 Wayne Hassett 51
11 Feb 26 Dundalk (AW) Floodlit Fridays At Dundalk Handicap (0-60) 1m 4f Standard 9 7.5 9/1 Chris Hayes 52
16 Jan 26 Dundalk (AW) View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Handicap (0-60) 1m 4f Standard 6 2.25 9/1 Killian Leonard 54
19 Dec 25 Dundalk (AW) Horse Racing Returns To Dundalk Friday 9th January 2026 Handicap (0-60) 1m 4f Standard 6 5.5 10/1 Luke McAteer 57
26 Nov 25 Dundalk (AW) Dundalk Stadium Gift Vouchers Available Online Handicap (0-60) 2m Standard 5 7 8/1 Conor Cusack 59
7 Nov 25 Dundalk (AW) Bar One Racing Your No.1 Bookmaker Apprentice Handicap 1m 4f Standard 6 7.5 50/1 Conor Cusack 61
29 Oct 25 Dundalk (AW) Happy Halloween Handicap 1m 4f Standard 12 9.75 40/1 Ben Coen 63
31 Aug 25 Tipperary Home & Agri Energy Handicap 1m 4.5f Yielding 9 24.25 18/1 Ben Coen 65
18 Jul 25 Down Royal GAIN The Advantage Series Apprentice Handicap 1m 5f Good 6 6.5 9/2 Patrick McGettigan 66
28 Jun 25 Curragh Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes Ladies Derby Handicap 1m 2f Good 10 5.75 16/1 Ms Hannah Smullen 66
23 Jun 25 Ballinrobe GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap 1m 5f Yielding 4 8.75 5/1 Ben Coen 67
7 Jun 25 Navan Balreask Bar, Catering At Navan Racecourse Handicap 1m 6f Good 3 2.5 16/1 Rory Cleary 64
9 May 25 Ballinrobe KOG Logistics Handicap 1m 5f Good 2 3.25 9/2 Chris Hayes 64
26 Apr 25 Navan Navan Racecourse Handicap 1m 5f Soft 6 7 9/1 Ben Coen 64
29 Mar 25 Curragh Tote.ie Handicap 1m 4f Soft 7 5 25/1 Wayne Lordan 65
20 Mar 25 Cork Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series At Punchestown Festival 2025 Qualifier Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f Good UR - 18/1 Cian Quirke 108
2 Mar 25 Leopardstown Cancer Fund For Children Charity Handicap Hurdle (Div 2) 2m Yielding 5 12.75 28/1 Cian Quirke 109
22 Oct 24 Curragh Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Handicap (47-70) (Div 2) 1m 2f Yielding 7 6.25 16/1 Ben Coen 66
23 Sep 24 Listowel Treo Eile Retraining Ireland's Racehorses Handicap (47-70) 1m 6f Good 12 15.5 17/2 Declan McDonogh 68
1 Sep 24 Tipperary Great National Ballykisteen Golf Hotel Handicap (47-70) 1m 4.5f Good 7 6.5 8/1 Ben Coen 69
1 Aug 24 Galway Guinness 0.0 Handicap (50-70) 1m 4f Yielding 7 12.5 16/1 Seamie Heffernan 70
18 Jul 24 Leopardstown BoyleSports Acca Rewards Handicap 1m 5f Good 4 .75 5/1 Ben Coen 69
24 Jun 24 Ballinrobe GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap (47-70) 1m 5f Good 1 — 11/2 Ben Coen 63
8 Jun 24 Navan Cusack Hotel Group Family Raceday July 13th Handicap (47-65) 1m 2f Good 5 4.5 12/1 Gary Carroll 63
29 May 24 Tipperary Visit Tipperary Handicap (47-65) 1m 4.5f Soft 8 14.5 33/1 Gary Carroll 63
7 May 24 Ballinrobe KOG Logistics Handicap Chase 2m 1f Yielding UR - 18/1 Aidan Kelly 112
24 Mar 24 Limerick Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle 2m Heavy 7 45 17/2 Eoin G Kelly 112
10 Feb 24 Naas Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle (80-116) 2m Heavy 3 4.75 18/1 Eoin G Kelly 111
19 Jan 24 Dundalk (AW) Join Us On Our Social Channels Handicap (47-65) 2m Standard 8 2.5 14/1 Rory Cleary 63
16 Nov 23 Punchestown Ladbrokes Play 'Instant Spins' Daily Handicap Hurdle 2m 0.5f Soft 13 35.25 50/1 Daniel King 113
20 Oct 23 Dundalk (AW) Irishinjuredjockeys.com Apprentice Claiming Race 1m 2.5f Standard 9 13.25 50/1 Sean D Bowen 67
30 Aug 23 Bellewstown Bright Motor Group Claiming Hurdle 2m 4.5f Good PU - 12/1 Philip Donovan 115
10 Aug 23 Sligo Clayton Hotel Claiming Hurdle 2m 2f Yielding 5 16.75 4/1 Daniel King 116
11 Jul 23 Tramore Tote Fantasy Who's In Your Stable Claiming Race 1m 4f Yielding 3 5.25 10/1 J M Sheridan 71
4 Jul 23 Tipperary Packie Downey Memorial Rated Novice Chase 2m 3.5f Good To Yielding PU - 4/1 Donagh Meyler 120
9 Jun 23 Clonmel Powerstown Park Beginners Chase 2m 0.5f Good 1 — 11/2 Daniel King –
25 May 23 Limerick Shoe Rescue Beginners Chase 2m 6.5f Good To Yielding 6 20.25 40/1 Donagh Meyler –
7 Jan 23 Cork McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales Rated Novice Hurdle 2m Soft 4 4.5 6/1 Donagh Meyler 116
29 Dec 22 Limerick Racing TV Rated Novice Hurdle (In Memory Of Andrew McNamara) 2m Heavy 3 6 15/2 Donagh Meyler 116
13 Nov 22 Cheltenham Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle (Registered As The Sharp Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) Class 1 2m 0.5f Good 5 29 50/1 Jonathan Burke 124

Last time out

Finished 16 in the Racing Next At Navan On Saturday September 5th Handicap at Navan (IRE) on 27 August 2026. Handy early - hit front approaching 4f gone before giving up advantage and pushed along 3f out - dropped away finishing 16th.

Desert Friend by distance

Split Runs Wins Strike rate Level stakes
12f 10 0 0% —
16f 9 1 11% —
13f 8 1 13% —
14f 4 1 25% —
16.5f 4 1 25% —
12.5f 3 0 0% —
10f 3 0 0% —
14.5f 1 0 0% —
11.5f 1 0 0% —
20f 1 0 0% —
17f 1 0 0% —
10.5f 1 0 0% —
20.5f 1 0 0% —
18f 1 0 0% —
19.5f 1 0 0% —
22.5f 1 0 0% —

Desert Friend by going

Split Runs Wins Strike rate Level stakes
Good 18 2 11% —
Standard 11 1 9% —
Yielding 8 0 0% —
Soft 6 0 0% —
Good To Yielding 3 0 0% —
Heavy 3 0 0% —
Yielding To Soft 1 1 100% —

Desert Friend by course

Split Runs Wins Strike rate Level stakes
Dundalk (AW) 11 1 9% —
Navan 4 0 0% —
Tipperary 4 0 0% —
Ballinrobe 4 1 25% —
Bellewstown 3 0 0% —
Curragh 3 0 0% —
Limerick 3 0 0% —
Listowel 2 0 0% —
Sligo 2 1 50% —
Cork 2 0 0% —

Desert Friend breeding

  • Sire Universal (IRE)
  • Dam Assabiyya (IRE)
  • Damsire Cape Cross (IRE)
  • Breeder Rabbah Bloodstock Limited
  • Foaled 26 March 2016

Bookmakers we rate for racing

Every one holds a UK Gambling Commission licence and has been reviewed against the same criteria. Compare UK horse racing betting sites.

  1. bet365

    Deposit £10 and get £30 in Free Bets with code 365GMBLR. 365GMBLR

    New Bet365 Customers Only. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration Required. The bonus code 365GMBLR can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. Time limits and T&Cs apply. #ad See full terms · Our bet365 review

    Claim
  2. Betfred

    Bet £10 Get £50 in Bonuses

    New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 × £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 × £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. T&Cs apply. See full terms · Our Betfred review

    Claim
  3. Betway

    New Customers at Betway Get £40 Acca Free Bet

    New customers only. Place min £10 bet at min odds 2.0. £40 in Free Bet Tokens awarded as 4×£10. 7-day expiry. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). T&Cs apply. See full terms · Our Betway review

    Claim
  4. Mecca Bingo

    Deposit £5, Get £20 Bingo Bonus or 50 Free Spins

    New players. Dep (Excl. PayPal & Paysafe) & spend min £5 (within 7 days) on selected slots for spins or £5 in selected bingo rooms – 5x wagering for bingo bonus. Individual promo T&Cs apply. See full terms · Our Mecca Bingo review

    Claim
  5. Lucky Pants

    Up to £35 or 100 Free Spins

    New Lucky Pants players. Dep (Excl. PayPal & Paysafe) & spend min £5 (within 7 days) on Fishin’ Frenzy for spins on the same game or £5 in Main Event Bingo for bonus. 6x wagering in the same room. Individual promo T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs apply. See full terms · Our Lucky Pants review

    Claim

18+ Commercial content. Links to bookmakers are affiliate links and we may earn a commission, which never changes an order. Offers change — check the bookmaker’s own terms before betting. GambleAware.org