If the early signs this season are anything to go by then trainer Olly Murphy looks to be on course to not only to raise the bar once again, but also taste success on the biggest days more often.
Last season was both a best, numerically, and financially, for the Wilmcote handler, who ended with a final domestic total of 141 winners along with banking £1,709,800 in prize-money.
Added to that he enjoyed a 25 percent strike rate along with helping to supply a large percentage of winners to help stable jockey Sean Bowen secure a first Jump Jockeys Championship.
While saddling a winner at the Cheltenham Festival has so far eluded Murphy it would come as no surprise should that come his way, along with further Grade One victories, this season given the quality of horse he has on his hands at Warren Chase Stables.
Murphy said: “We had one hundred and forty one winners last season and we will try and back that up this season.
“We have started well numbers wise, but I want it to be quality over quantity. If you told me I would have a Grade One winner, a Cheltenham Festival winner and train one hundred winners I would take that over big numbers.
“We have both plenty of quality, and quantity, and I’m looking forward to the season.”
“He ran a cracker in the Martin Pipe and he might well be a horse for the Pertemps. He is a good three mile handicap hurdler. He is a horse with a lot of ability.
“We might aim him at what was the old fixed brush hurdle race at Haydock Park. He hated it around Chepstow first time out last year.
“I’m not sure if it was a bit of a culture shock running in a big handicap around there in his first run of the season. He had some good runs after that though."
“He has surprised me as I wondered if I was doing the right thing going chasing but he really seems to have taken to it well. It was a good performance at Cheltenham to do it like he did from the front and follow up his win at Uttoxeter.
“He has got loads of ability and he is starting to develop into a good two mile novice chaser.
“The plan now is to send him to Sandown Park for the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase. He came out of his race at Cheltenham well.”
“He has settled in well. He was obviously a good horse on his day, but he hasn’t achieved what everyone thought he might have done. Hopefully England might suit him a bit better than Ireland as there are a few more options.
“If he can return to some of his better novice form he could win a nice handicap. He could be a horse for a Kim Muir or something like that.”
BALLYCOMMON BOY
“He arrives having won his only point-to-point start at Dromahane over three miles back in April. He made a couple of mistakes late on that day, but he still managed to win quite well which was a good sign. He is a nice four-year-old that hopefully has a bright future.”
“He had a wind operation, but he didn’t relax well enough on his final start last season at Leicester. He was good up at Carlisle then he ran well at Warwick behind Ma Shantou.
“He is a nice horse that we haven’t seen the best of yet. He will jump a fence sooner rather than later. I’d say we will probably go over a fence with him at some point this season."
"It was quite remarkable how he won the Greatwood Gold Cup last season. The plan is to go to Newbury for the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Handicap Chase at the Coral Gold Cup meeting. Whether he has a prep run beforehand I don’t know as he is very good fresh. I still think he is off an attractive mark.
“I think when they go a right good gallop around that inside track at Cheltenham in a Paddy Power Gold Cup he might just get caught out.
"He was very keen in his early days, but I think he stays very well, however he is learning to relax now.”
“He has been a star for us and he is back in full training. We would love to win a race with him this season and if he did I would imagine we would then retire him.
“He is going to need a little bit of help off the handicapper, but he has still got plenty of zest about him, while he recently schooled well.
“Hopefully he is a horse that has still got a bit of fire in his belly. It would be nice if he could win one of those veterans’ hurdle races or something like that as he still retains ability.”
“He is a slightly more experienced horse to come in from the point-to-point sphere as he has had three starts. His first two races he failed to complete after falling at Ballysteen then pulling up at Lisronagh.
“He won on his last start when he put in a clear round at Dromahane and his work recently at home has been good. Hopefully he can give a good account of himself at Carlisle.”
“He had trouble bursting blood vessels last season. He will start off in a graduation or intermediate chase somewhere. It would be great if he can stay healthy all season as he has got a massive engine.
“I’m not sure where we will end up as he is a hard horse to place as he has already won and in an ideal world it would be great if he was still a novice.
“As he was so unhealthy last season I don’t want to make any grand plans, but touchwood he is in a good place at the moment and he will start off maybe at Haydock Park in the graduation chase up there.”
“Unfortunately, he won’t be back until Christmas time as he picked up an injury at Warwick. He will be a lovely horse for the second part of the season. He hasn’t got much experience though so he will have to run in a handicap. We will just take it slowly with him.
“Whether he is a horse, if the ground was soft enough, for a Swinton Hurdle, or something like that I don’t know, but he is going to need two or three runs to get some more experience in him.”
“He has got all the ability in the world when he wants to put it all together. It was good to see him do it Perth on his return where he beat The Real Whacker over three miles up there.
“He has been put up four pounds for that win and hopefully we can look at some nice handicap chases with him throughout the season.”
“He is a horse that could be for an Imperial Cup. I know it is a long way away, but two miles on very soft ground is what he wants.
“He is definitely a lot better than his mark and he is still very unexposed. He looked progressive last season and will be one for those nicer handicaps.”
“He will go down the veteran chase route this season. He likes nice ground. Perth didn't suit him on his last start, but he had a good run at Kempton Park before that in what was an interrupted campaign. He is a horse that we haven’t seen the best of either.”
“He is a horse that is better than he has shown, but he hasn’t had the clearest of runs. He has got a nice mark. He was cantering at Sandown Park when he was brought down which was unfortunate.
"I will start him off in a handicap hurdle, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he jumped a fence sooner rather than later.”
“The form of his Listed win at Exeter has worked out really well, but he will now go jumping a fence. The plan was to go to Aintree after Exeter, but the ground was watered good ground, and we have had leg trouble before, so we ended up not running him after Exeter.
“He will probably start off in November in a beginners chase or novice chase and go from there.
“His first big target would be the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase. I think there will be loads of improvement when he goes up to two and a half miles.”
“He is another one that was beaten in both of his bumper starts, firstly at Warwick then at Market Rasen.
“The form of his last run looks fairly useful as the winner of that race Un Sens A La Vie won smartly at Market Rasen over hurdles the other day.
“I think our lad could be a useful individual as well.”
“Winning the Imperial Cup again with him last season was a fantastic day. It is hard to win two Imperial Cups, but I’m sure we will have a go at a third one.
“I’m adamant that he will improve for a step up in trip so don’t be surprised to see him do that.
“If Sandown was very soft then great as you have to stay, but I think he will be going up in trip before long.
“He has gone up a few pounds for winning the Imperial Cup, but fingers crossed there is still another nice race in him.”
“I’m not sure where to start him off. He might be a horse for a Haldon Gold Cup or something like that. He ran a very good race at Aintree and won a good handicap at Sandown Park. He loves soft ground.
"He has got loads of ability and was unlucky not to win a nice handicap at Cheltenham when he fell at the last. Hopefully, he can win a good handicap again. A strongly run two miles suits him well, but he just wants cut in the ground.”
“We have recently had Gwennie May Boy arrive at the yard. I’m only just getting to know him, but he is a horse that has obviously got a lot of ability and Dan Skelton did very well with him as he won a big handicap at Aintree with him and a Rendlesham as well.
“He will be hard to place in handicaps for obvious reasons so he is either going to have to go down the graded hurdle route or jump a fence. He is not the biggest horse in the world, but he is a clean jumper of a hurdle. He could be a nice three mile novice chaser if we go down that route.”
“He won two bumpers and he could well be a good horse. He will start off in a maiden hurdle and we will see how we get on.
“He will start off over two miles, and he won’t want any further than that at the moment as he is very sharp.
“He would be one of the better ones I have for novice hurdles this season, but he just needs to learn how to relax. He doesn’t wear a hood or anything at home, but he just wants the lid kept on him.”
“He is another that joins the yard having won his point-to-point well at Borris House under Rob James.
"He is a year older than the likes of Ballycommon Boy and we hope he can now take a step forward for us this season.”
“He is talented but fragile. He has a lot of ability and he is in good form. I think we might end up jumping a fence with him while he is still unexposed. I think he is much better than what his mark is.
“We will start off in a novice handicap chase over two or two and a half miles somewhere and work our way up. I would be very disappointed if he wasn’t rated better than one hundred and twenty six by the end of the season.
“He had a trapped epiglottis after he ran at Haydock Park then we couldn’t run him because of the ground then we went to Ffos Las as there wasn’t much for him and he bolted up.
“He hasn’t had a clean run, but that has not been his fault and we feel like we are on top of things now.”
“He will be back on the track around Christmas time. I think there is a good handicap in him, but he has to go right handed.
“His work was second to none last year. He is a horse that likes soft ground and going right handed. He had a good season, but I don’t think we have seen the best of him.”
“He won three novice hurdles which was great, but he didn’t achieve what I thought he was going to.
“He had a wind operation last season and hopefully he will now develop into a nice novice chaser. He had a nice run on his first start over fences at Uttoxeter in the week, but he now wants stepping up in trip.
“He will improve for stepping up in trip and I could even see him running over three miles in time. There could be a nice handicap in him.”.
“He improved and improved last season. Whether he is going to be good enough for it I don’t know, but I’m going to train him for a Pertemps.
“He is very unexposed and he improved beyond all recognition last season and hopefully he can continue that progression that season starting at Carlisle."
“He was beaten in his two bumpers last season and then he was beaten on his debut over hurdles at Chepstow. We will just give him another run in a maiden hurdle somewhere to try and get his head in front before making any other plans.”
“He is a nice individual that won his bumper well around Fakenham. Although he was beaten on his hurdles debut I think he will be a nice novice hurdler as the season goes on.
"He might be a nice chaser in time and I would say this season would be a stepping stone for him.”
“It was a trappy enough race that he made his debut over fences up at Perth, but he stayed on well to win. He jumps very well over fences and his work has been smart. He doesn’t want bottomless ground.
“He is a horse that we were keen on buying as we liked his profile. He is owned by Grahame Whateley and Barbara Hester so hopefully that will be a nice partnership.
“The plan now is to pitch him into the Grade Two John Francome Novices’ Chase at the Coral Gold Cup meeting at Newbury.”
“He won a couple of handicaps at Cheltenham last season and we started him back there at the Showcase Meeting in October. He ran okay that day and he will now go back there for another three-mile handicap hurdle.
“He could be a horse for a Pertemps if he keeps improving. He is not the most robust horse in the world so I don’t think jumping a fence is for him, even though he has run in a point-to-point.
“He has been a massive improver so hopefully there is still more to come. Cheltenham suits him well, especially the old course as there is a long run from two out until the last, and it suits him when he can get motoring.”
MISTER ST ELOI
“He unseated in his first point-to-point at Knockanard and then he was unlucky to get beaten into second on his last start at Ballycahane. He has been purchased by Grahame and Diana Whateley and he looks a useful prospect.”
“He got beat in a couple of bumpers last season when finishing fourth at Sandown then going one better behind one of Dan’s (Skelton) at Ffos Las.
“He will be a very sharp novice hurdler I would say and hopefully he can pick up a few races for us.”
“Unlike some of the point-to-point horses that have joined us Old Habits was beaten in his one run in that sphere at Stowlin.
"We like what we see here though as he has been doing everything well at home so hopefully he can transfer that to the track.
“I would say he could be the dark horse in the yard this season. He did nothing wrong in both of his bumpers last season as he finished second in both.
"The only thing he didn’t do was win one. I expect him to progress well when we send him over hurdles this season.”
“He is a lovely horse that was placed in a couple of bumpers last season. He finished third at Market Rasen on his debut and he was then not beaten far to fill the same position at Chepstow on his next start.
“He will start off in a two mile maiden hurdle, but he will evidently want a trip.”
“He ran well at Cheltenham first time out then bolted up at Lingfield. He then only ran okay at Newbury. He is a big galloping horse that wants a trip, and a fence, so we will go novice chasing this season.
“He will probably start off over two and a half miles and then step him up to three miles. He doesn’t do anything very quickly, but he is a nice staying type.”
“I was disappointed with him at Naas, but we went there as there was no graded race for him over here and I didn’t think he was a horse to pitch straight into a handicap.
“I’m not sure if it was the track over there that was behind that run. However, previous to that he was very progressive.
“He is going to jump a fence this season. His work has been very good. On soft ground hopefully he will be a nice horse for those middle-distance novice chases.”
“He is not the most robust horse, and I wouldn’t be afraid of jumping a fence with him again. He has been an absolute star for connections and he wins his couple of races every season.
“He is very good fresh and it was good to see him win the Silver Trophy down at Chepstow. There are no immediate plans with him so I’m giving him plenty of time to get over that run before mapping out a route for him.”
“He is going to be trained for the Coral Gold Cup and the plan is to send him to Carlisle for the Colin Parker to blow the cobwebs away.
"He is in very good form and I’m looking forward to running him and hopefully he can take that next step up.
“He had the cheekpieces on at Sandown Park and I think they helped him. He just got caught out around Cheltenham and didn’t get into a great rhythm, but he did the opposite at Sandown Park and ultimately he stayed on very well.
“The Grand National could come on to the agenda as he has got that type of profile, but we will see how we get on in the Coral Gold Cup to see whether he will make up into a proper graded chaser or a top level handicapper. I’m looking forward to seeing where he ends up.”
“He ran a great race on the Grade Two at Haydock Park as that wouldn’t have been his track, but he flew home. Perth certainly wasn’t his track at the end of the season.
“He could well be a nice staying novice chaser this season. He has come in a different horse as he is moving well and I think the break did him the world of good.
“I’m looking forward to getting him out on soft ground. He could be one for some of those better novice chases on softer ground. He will be a better horse this season than last.”
“He won’t be back until the second half of the season. He might have a really attractive profile for those veteran chases. He picked up a little injury in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup, but hopefully he is a horse for those nice staying veteran chases.”
“Hopefully he will be a nice novice hurdler this season, and he has already got a nice bit of experience which will help. I’d say he would be one for better ground. His work is pretty good.
“It was good to see him win the Persian War and he has come out of Chepstow well. We will either look at the Greatwood or the Grade Two Newton Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock Park, but he wouldn’t want the ground too soft.”
“He had a good season in winning a Grade Two at Newbury. He was unlucky not to win the Grade One at Aintree, but they didn’t go hard enough, and he had a few bumps in the road along the middle.
“We are going to predominantly keep him to flat tracks this season. He is nowhere near his best at Cheltenham, but he is a very good horse when he gets his conditions.
“He dug deep to win the West Yorkshire Hurdle up at Wetherby. As long as he comes out of Wetherby alright he will head to Newbury to defend his Long Distance Hurdle title.
“We then might go for a Rendlesham and freshen him up for Aintree. The first half of the season works itself out. The three mile Grade One at Aintree is his race and he loves it there.”
“He has been very disappointing and he has completely lost his way. He ran a bit better at Bangor last time and he is dropping down the handicap. I thought I had him for the Summer Plate again, but he was beaten before he jumped off. He is on a revival mission.
“After Christmas he will be able to run in those veterans chases and I think that will have to be a route we look at exploring with him.
“He will now have a winter break and he will be aimed at trying to qualify for the middle distance veterans’ chase final up at Haydock Park in the spring.”
“Sean (Bowen) loves this horse. He will want a trip as he is a proper staying individual. I’m looking forward to seeing him out. He won’t be out yet as he wants some slow ground.
“It was a good run he posted up at Aintree last season behind Dalston Lad, but he wasn’t a bumper horse. He again falls into the category of one of the better novice hurdlers.”
“He had a good season last season. He is as tough as old boots. We ended up trying a fence again with him the other day at Wetherby in what turned out to be a match race.
“He got the job done at Wetherby and he is a horse that has plenty of ability, We are likely to mix and match it between hurdles and fences.
“He could be up to winning a nice pot either over hurdles or fences in the coming months.”
“She is a good filly that loves soft ground. I will be disappointed if she is not good enough for some smart races this season.
“I think she could be a very good mare, but she has to have soft ground. I thought the Jane Seymour at Sandown Park was the ideal race, but she might be one to go to Newbury first for the two mile mares Listed novices’ hurdle first. She is a good filly.”
“He is in good form. He had a fibrillating heart at Ascot when I thought he would win first time out, but he was then never the same all season. He is dropping down the handicap and we will probably mix him between hurdles and fences.
“The majority of those veterans’ races he is just too high in the weights for at the moment, but hopefully he could come down enough to run in some of those.”
“We are going to jump a fence with him this season. He has still got a nice mark and I’m still adamant we haven’t seen the best of him.
“He had a grand season. We dipped our toe in the water at Cheltenham, but he was beaten before he jumped off and I don’t know what caused it, but he was never at the races, and he actually ran okay at Aintree.
“It was good to see him get the job done on his debut over fences at Worcester. He will either go to Cheltenham now for the November Meeting or to the Grade Three Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park.
“There will be a lot of improvement when he goes up in trip.”
“He was half fit when he ran at Perth. He is a very keen horse and I left him well undercooked. We dropped him in and he came there two out looking like he was going to win, but he got very tired.
“It wouldn’t bother me in the slightest for his first run as I’m not surprised that happened. He will be in the top few of my novice hurdlers this season.
“I expected him to step forward significantly for it and he did exactly that when winning well up at Stratford. He could now go to the Grade Two Newton Novices’ Hurdle up at Haydock Park
“There could be a nice staying handicap chase in him. He didn’t fulfill what we hoped he would do last season. He wants soft ground, but he is a grand horse.
“I think those nice three mile handicaps at Ascot, and races like that, are the sort of races we can look at with him.
“He won at Stratford and he ran a cracker at Cheltenham at the November Meeting. He then went to Aintree and never turned up, but he ran better at Leicester.
“He ran okay in the Kim Muir, but good ground didn’t suit. Hopefully he can run well at Carlisle.”
“I say if you asked me what is the best novice hurdler we have, he is potentially the best. He was a very weak four-year-old that has just improved.
“He is a very good jumper and has clearly done well for another summer on his back. All he will do is improve through the season like he did last season. I love him.
“The race he won at Perth was a good race as the seventh, eight and fourth finished first, second and third up there the other week.
“The form has worked out well and there was a lot of talk going into that bumper.”
“He had an interrupted campaign. He had a problem with his foot so he only had two runs. He will start off at a big track though in a handicap hurdle over two miles.
“He is evidently better than his mark of one hundred and seventeen, but he just needs some experience. He will start at Carlisle.”
Also in the series
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