Good ground key to Salmon success - Murphy
Timmy Murphy hopes for good ground at Cheltenham to help the chances of his mount Beef Or Salmon in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Murphy will partner the Michael Hourigan-trained novice in the three mile two-and-a-half furlong feature event but believes the gelding will need to improve to take the blue riband contest.
The seven-year-old has made an immediate impact on the jumping scene this campaign, taking the Grade Two Morris Oil Chase on his debut over fences.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength, winning the Grade Three O’Connell Transport Hilly Way Chase, Grade One Ericsson Chase and on his last run, the Grade One Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.
Although he is still technically a novice, Murphy believes it is hard to tell.
“He doesn’t actually ride like a novice. He’s very professional doing what he does,” the rider told attheraces.
“He’s been running on ground he doesn’t really handle. I’ve always said from riding work at home that he’s a good-ground horse, so the question is if he can take that form to good ground and improve on it.
“He definitely has to improve on what he’s done so we just hope the ground will make that difference.”
Beef Or Salmon has so far only run in small fields over fences but Murphy is unconcerned over the likely bigger field and the sizzling pace the duo may encounter at Cheltenham.
“He’s not a slow horse. He’ll stay going the gallop and then he’ll keep increasing it as you want him to, so I can’t really see the pace being too much of a problem,” he added.
Another Irish jockey, Norman Williamson, is also looking forward to the Festival, where he will have a good book of mounts headed by Rhinestone Cowboy, hot favourite for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.
But like Beef Or Salmon, Rhinestone Cowboy will go into the championship inexperienced at the highest level.
“It’s the Champion Hurdle and he’s a novice. Let’s hope we get there in one piece, let him do the talking and hope everything goes right on the day,” he told attheraces.
Williamson believes his banker of the meeting to be Edward O’Grady-trained Back In Front, third to Pizarro and Rhinestone Cowboy in the Cheltenham bumper last season.
The six-year-old goes for the Gerrard Wealth Management Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Williamson said: “The form of the Cheltenham bumper last year is amazing, it’s been very good.
“Back In Front had only one run from November to March last year and was third in the Cheltenham bumper.
“We brought him back and he was beaten by Hardy Eustace in a Grade One hurdle on his first run, then he was very impressive at Leopardstown and impressive in a weak race at Limerick, but he could turn into a top-class hurdler.
“He’s exceptional – very quick, jumps very quickly and accurately and is one of my better rides at the Festival.”
The jockey expects the Irish to have a successful Festival.
“The Irish challenge is very strong this year – hurdle-wise more so probably than the chasers,” he added.
“The novice hurdlers look very good and the stayers and two-milers are pretty good. We saw a very good horse the other day in Golden Cross. He’s favourite for the Triumph Hurdle now and I reckon he will go off favourite.”
