Murphy maps out chasing plans

Ferdy Murphy has mapped out January targets for three of his top handicap chasers, Ballinclay King, Paris Pike and Historg.

The nine-year-old Ballinclay King is set to return to Cheltenham, the scene of his impressive success in the Unicoin New Homes Chase on New Year’s Day.

Murphy has earmarked the Ladbroke Handicap Chase there on January 25 and he reports the gelding to be in top form.

He said: “The Cheltenham win has done the horse a power of good as it was the first time for a while that he’d been getting weight from horses rather than giving it away and he absolutely adored the ground.

“He’s come out of it well and while we’ll look at the Peter Marsh at Haydock, I’m keen to go back to Cheltenham for the two-mile, five furlongs handicap and we are hoping for similar conditions.”

The Martell Grand National is the long-time target for Paris Pike whose intended comeback at Wetherby this week has been scuppered by the weather.

Murphy has the Sky Bet-sponsored Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster on January 25 in mind as a possible alternative.

The Middleham handler has been finding it difficult to find opportunities for Paris Pike after he ran away with the Scottish National in 2000.

He explained: “With his rating after Ayr there was nothing for him apart from a bunch of 140 races for which he was ineligible.

“He’s now on 143 and as the Great Yorkshire is 145 it would make sense to start him off there as Wetherby is off, but the National is our big aim.”

The Middleham trainer has the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock on Saturday week pencilled in for Historg, who was also impressive at Cheltenham’s New Year fixture.

Murphy added: “Davy thinks three miles over those big fences will be ideal for Historg and we can squeeze it in on the way to a crack at the Racing Post Chase.”