Grahame Whateley Stable Tour: Guide to 2020-21 winter team

CAPTAIN BIGGLES

• Trainer: Olly Murphy
• Five-year-old gelding
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From the family of Rathlin who did so well for Mouse Morris. He made his debut in a bumper at Hereford during the time Olly’s horses weren’t firing and we we think he was one that was effected. Heavy ground is another possible reason but either way we think he is better than that run. He has had his wind operated on since and is ready to start over hurdles. There's a chance he will make his debut over obstacles at Wetherby on Saturday.

LINELEE KING

• Trainer: Olly Murphy
• Five-year-old gelding
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Won his only Point-to-Point start at Tinahely for Colin Bowe impressively and we bought him soon after at the Cheltenham Festival Sales. He found Plenty In The Tank too strong on his NH debut but made no mistake when Olly sent him up to Sedgefield for his next start, beating a previous winner comfortably. Not right after contesting the Champion Bumper, he is another of mine that did very well for a good break over the summer. Made a winning hurdling debut at Kelso over two miles and Dickie Johnson was complimentary afterwards. He is likely to improve when we step him up in trip but the plan is to run at Ascot over two miles again on Saturday where he will run in a novice under his penalty.

LORD OF KERAK

• Trainer: Olly Murphy
• Five-year-old gelding
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Aiden Murphy bought him at the Irish Derby Stores sales for me and just loved him. He is a Martaline half-brother to the very talented Hell’s Kitchen who wasn’t far off top class over fences. We sent him to Uttoxeter for his hurdling debut and for me he shaped with plenty of promise, chasing home a short priced Dan Skelton horse (Wilde About Oscar). It was his first day at school and he will have learnt a huge amount there. Olly has been happy with him at home since and he is likely to be out again in mid-November.

PLENTY IN THE TANK

• Trainer: Olly Murphy
• Five-year-old gelding
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We went down to Chepstow very hopeful of winning the bumper with Linelee King but we had no answer to Plenty In The Tank that day as he went from the front and fairly powered up that long Chepstow home straight. Initially disappointed to have finished second we came to realise we had probably bumped into a fair horse that late October afternoon. As such, when we found out he was going to the Cheltenham November Sales I was very keen to get hold of him. The plan was to take him to the Cheltenham Bumper but he had a slight setback in the weeks leading up to the race so we decided to leave him alone for the summer. He did really well for that rest and he will make his debut for us in a novice hurdle at Fakenham today. Olly likes what he has seen up at Warren place and I’m excited about getting him started.

THOMAS DARBY

• Trainer: Olly Murphy
• Seven-year-old gelding
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Was a high class horse as a novice hurdler, culminating in his second to Klassical Dream in the Sky Bet Supreme at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019. Last season we sent him chasing and he was a most encouraging second at Warwick when just edged out by the prolific mare Maire Banrigh, who was on a real roll at the time and went on to win on her next two starts. She had both experience and sharpness on her side that day. Kempton came at a time when Olly’s horses weren’t A1 so I’m happy to put a line through that run. We then changed plans and decided to revert back hurdling and it paid dividends when he won the Grade Three handicap at Ascot off top weight. That day gave us immense pleasure as he is a horse both Diana and I have always had a soft spot for. I think he is at his best in a fast run race and that day at Ascot proved he stays 2m4f well. Olly is planning on starting him off at Aintree in a handicap hurdle there over 2m4f with a view to possibly stepping him up in trip after that. He is a half-brother to Noel Meade's very smart Muirhead who stayed three miles.