Murphy to ride Eile in Champion Hurdle

Timmy Murphy will ride Irish raider Al Eile in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next week.

Murphy, who partnered Al Eile to win at Aintree last season, takes over from Jim Culloty who has ridden the gelding on each f his three starts this campaign.

Trainer John Queally is also planning to run the five-year-old in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle as well as the Champion but Murphy will not be available for the handicap event.

“Timmy Murphy rides Al Eile but at this stage it’s highly unlikely he’ll be available to ride him in the County. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Queally told the Racing Post.

“The Totesport Trophy at Newbury was one of his main targets this season and since that race we’ve been just ticking him over.

“Obviously the County is the race for him but I’m happy to let him take his chance in the big one. The three-day gap this year between the two races had a big influence on our decision.”

Al Eile is a general 50-1 chance for the Champion Hurdle while he is as short as 8-1 with Ladbrokes for the County Hurdle.