Eile proves Champion for Queally and Murphy

There were joyous scenes in the winner’s enclosure after Al Eile’s victory in the Commhoist Logistics Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock, the highlight of a Timmy Murphy 98-1 four-timer.

Around 20 delighted Irishmen broke out in song to celebrate the victory of John Queally’s six-year-old and all being well it is all systems go for Newbury and the totesport Trophy on February 11.

“Newbury is the plan,” said Queally. “Top weight won’t bother him and he likes the flat tracks like Haydock, Aintree and Newbury. I think he is about 7lb better round places like that.”

Al Eile travelled well throughout the race for Murphy and despite pulling hard in the early stages, he found the necessary reserves to hold off the game effort of Mister McGoldrick by a neck, with favourite Faasel five lengths back in third.

The disappointment of the race was Arcalis, who was pulled up after hitting the third-last.

For Queally though, the performance came as something as a surprise after concerns over whether he his charge would act on the ground.

“He acted in it better than some of the others,” he said. “But he’s beaten the Champion Hurdle joint favourite (Arcalis) there so we’ve got to be pleased.

“He’ll go to Newbury now as a winner without a penalty because the weights can’t go up any more.

“He’s also got an entry in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham (as well as the Champion Hurdle), but we haven’t really looked beyond Newbury, there’s only one Champion Hurdle though.”

Queally was keen not to get too excited, however, as he believed the extreme conditions could have exaggerated the result.

“I don’t think any horse really acts in those conditions but he’s probably acted in them better than most. He’ll be a better horse on better ground.

“I’m pleased for the owner Mike O’Brien because as you can see he has quite a following and it’s a great day for them all.”

Sponsors totesport now make Al Eile 8-1 (from 16s) for the Newbury race.

Al Eile’s victory was just part of a great day for Murphy, who started proceedings with an impressive success aboard the Martin Pipe-trained Nous Voila (7-4 favourite) in the Anglo Irish Bank Novices’ Hurdle.

After being beaten in a handicap at Cheltenham last time, the five-year-old found the conditions back in his favour among other novices.

He revelled in the soft ground and came home 12 lengths clear of Livingonaknifedge, with the disappointment of the race again a Howard Johnson runner, this time in the shape of one-time Derby fourth Percussionist, who could only manage a well-beaten third.

Pipe’s representative Bob Hodge said: “He’s done it really well. He handled the ground no problem at all.

“The rest of them were struggling from a long way out.

“He seems a progressive sort and hopefully he’ll continue in the winning vein.”

Ladbrokes cut Nous Voila to 10-1 from 20-1 for the totesport Trophy.

Don’t Be Shy (8-13 favourite) also cruised home for the Pipe-David Johnson-Murphy team in the Sporting Index Novices Chase over two and a half miles.

The winning distance was officially eight lengths but the winner was value for much more than that after jumping boldly throughout and proving far too strong for New Alco and Turthen up the straight.

Hodge believed once more it was a case of Don’t Be Shy handling the conditions better than his rivals.

“We’re delighted with the way he jumped there. Timmy said he really enjoyed it,” he said.

“He’s handled the ground well but he’s an ex-French horse and they are pretty used to racing in these kind of conditions.

“That was over two and a half miles and the Arkle is sometimes run like a two-and-a-half-mile race so he could go there. But we’ll have to see what the guv’nor says.”

Murphy completed his four-timer on board the Henrietta Knight-trained Glasker Mill (5-2), who came out on top in a duel with Liathroidisneachta up the straight.

The winner was five lengths too good for the Jonjo O’Neil-trained runner-up and they pulled a distance clear of the third horse Pontiff .

Michael Meagher, racing manager for owner Trevor Hemmings, said: “Hen said she was going to enter him for the SunAlliance Hurdle. He has travelled well today. He was very impressive in his bumper last season at Kempton, but he has taken his time to come to himself this year.”

Thirteen-year-old Barton Nic (7-1) proved too strong for his rivals in the Kevin Moore Handicap Chase for trainer Paul Keane.

After filling the runner-up berth behind Schuh Shine over four furlongs further at the track last time, he had no trouble going one better here.

It looked like Oso Magic was going to continue his great run of victories as the field turned into the straight, but he found surprisingly little for pressure and faded into seventh.

Barton Nic travelled sweetly throughout for Peter Buchanan and held off the challenge of Nowator over the final two fences to win by 10 lengths.