BALTIMORE’S Eoin Murphy is hoping to become the first-ever Irish driver to win the European Apprentice Drivers Championship in Dundalk Stadium this Sunday.

This ten-race programme includes 12 drivers from 12 different countries, with Murphy rubbing shoulders with 2025 champion Lynus Lannoo from Belgium.

The last time the Baltimore man was in Dundalk for a harness race was in 2018. Back then he was watching events unfold. Eight years later, he will be in the thick of the action.

‘It’s a huge privilege and an honour to represent Ireland. Of course, there is a bit of pressure on it but you have to take that in your stride,’ Murphy told this week’s Star Sport Podcast.

‘There is always pressure when you are the favourite or in a big race. All eyes are on you.

‘To have an Irish lad racing in Ireland is big too. Our country has never hosted this before. A lot of Irish lads like Charlie Flanagan, Oisín Quill and Jono Cowden have all done well in different countries. There is more pressure being at home. It is a small bit of an advantage knowing the horses.’

The drivers could be paired with any of the horses, which adds to the challenge. It all comes down to who can drive them better on the day.

Eoin Murphy will represent Ireland at the European Apprentice Drivers Championship in Dundalk. (Photo: Andy Gibson)

The Baltimore native is with IB Stables on Inish Beg, who are sending up five horses this weekend.

Murphy was 16 when he had his first drive with Silvano Bello at Dunmanway. Now 22, he is hoping to achieve that success at the Euros.

‘It would be huge because I don’t know how long I have left. You can go until you’re 25 but you have to have less than 100 winners as well. I’m at around 64 or 65 now. Maybe one good year next year could wipe it out. I don’t have many chances left to do it. Even to bring it back for Ireland would be amazing. This country has never won it before,’ Murphy explained.

‘I had about 18 winners last year. This year has definitely been slower – I’m only after winning five races. This time last year, I won over ten. A lot of the horses are in joint grades this year and I’m not driving as much as I was last year.

‘The stable is going well though. Last year, we had nobody winning outside of myself. My uncle Donal (Murphy) has won two this year. Michael O’Mahony has won one on our horse. We’re doing well as a stable so I’m still happy.’

Not only are the stakes higher this weekend, but it’s a completely different race track to what Murphy is used to in West Cork. Most notably, there are key differences between the new track in Lyre and the one in Louth.

‘It will be a lot softer than the Lyre Raceway. In Lyre, the surface is hard and that makes it fast. Whereas in Dundalk, it’s soft and the horse can get stuck into it. It may take a different horse to win there. I’d rather have a harder surface. It depends on what horse you have in training. Some rather hard ground. Others softer. It’s all a bit of a mix,’ the Baltimore native added.

‘It’s different racing too with it being one lap. We’re used to the half-mile tracks. It’s only one lap for a mile and a quarter. There will be different tactics at play and a different surface too. It’s all a bit of a change. I have never driven there or even been on a surface like that. Everything about this weekend is a challenge.’

Off the track, Murphy is an apprentice electrician and has ten months left before he is fully qualified. Harness racing is a tradition that runs in the family. His uncle Donal and his parents Tadhg and Christine have been harness racing for all their lives.

‘I’ve been lucky and we have a good stable below. There are not many people around that have big stables. The only other person in Cork would be Jamie Hurley to have more than us. You then have to go up to Dublin for bigger.

‘It was lucky I got brought into a stable where I get drives every week,’ Murphy said as he prepared for the biggest event in his career this weekend.