Impervious: Profile, Record, Age & Best Races

Impervious won the Mares' Chase at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, but will be absent from the Cotswolds showpiece two years on after suffering a setback in her recovery from injury.

Name: Impervious

Age: 9

Weight: 11-3

Trainer: Colm Murphy

Winnings: £193,238

Cheltenham Festival wins: 1

Impervious race stats

Runs	1st	2nd	3rd
11	8	0	0

Impervious Age

Impervious is nine years old and made her debut at Cork in August 2021, winning the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle by six and a half lengths.

Impervious Weight

Impervious ran off 11st 3lbs when winning the Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Glencarraig Lady Francis Flood Mares Chase at Punchestown by 11 lengths on her last racecourse appearance in April 2023.

Impervious Record

Impervious made a good fist of things over hurdles, but always looked destined to make her mark as a chaser. She won her first three starts over timber, culminating in a Grade 3 novice success at Down Royal over 2m1f at their big autumn meeting.

She was well held in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse (fifth) in her first crack in elite company in late November 2021 and went straight to Cheltenham in March 2022, where she was sixth behind Love Envoi in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

She rounded off her season by finishing fifth to Brandy Love at Fairyhouse, once more in Grade 1 company, in a race where Love Envoi was second.

It was last season that Impervious caught the attention. She made a winning seasonal bow/chasing debut at Wexford in October over two miles, beating 135-rated Cayd Boy in fine style.

That prompted a rise to Grade 2 company at Cork in December and a showdown with the Willie Mullins-trained Dinoblue.

Both entered the race unbeaten over fences and it was Impervious who kept her perfect chasing record intact under Brian Hayes.

Impervious' next target was a Grade 3 novice chase against geldings at Punchestown in January, when she enhanced her reputation with another fine win, putting her firmly in the picture as one to follow at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.

The faith in her was rewarded with a fine win in the Mares' Chase, going away from the Mullins-trained Allegorie De Vassy to end the Closutton supremo's domination of the race having won the two previous runnings.

Impervious Next Race

There is no indication of when Impervious' next race will be after the unbeaten chaser was ruled out of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival following a setback.

Impervious Owner and Cost

Impervious is currently owned by leading National Hunt owner John P McManus.

She was bought by trainer Colm Murphy for €26,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland June Derby sale 2019 and raced in the silks of Paul McKeon until she was bought by McManus in a private sale at the end of 2022.

Impervious Trainer

Impervious is trained by Colm Murphy in a small village called Killenagh, which is situated north of Wexford, just outside of Gorey. He commenced training in 2000, having previously worked with Irish maestro Aidan O'Brien for six years.

Murphy was soon to the fore as Brave Inca won 10 Grade 1s for him, most notably a never-to-be-forgotten victory in the Champion Hurdle at the 2006 Cheltenham Festival.

He also tailored the career of Big Zeb, winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2010.

Murphy took the racing world by surprise when announcing his intention to retire from the training ranks in the autumn of 2016. However, he didn't stay away long and was back within three years.

Impervious Official Rating

Impervious has an official chase rating of 158 and is rated 132 over hurdles.

Impervious Prize Money

The nine-year-old's career earnings stand at £193, 238, with £188,910 coming from race victories.

Impervious News

It is almost two years since Impervious was last seen on a racetrack and it is not known when the unbeaten chaser will again line up after suffering a setback in preparation for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

Trainer Murphy had been targeting a return to the Cotswolds in March, but any such plans have now been scuppered.