Queally keen to secure Murphy for Eile

John Queally is hoping Timmy Murphy will be available to ride stable star Al Eile in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday week.

Murphy partnered the six-year-old to success in Haydock’s Champion Hurdle Trial in January and Queally is keen to maintain the link if the rider’s retained owner David Johnson allows.

“He will definitely go for the Champion. We entered him in the World Hurdle as well, but the Champion is the aim,” Queally told At The Races.

“We don’t have a jockey booked at the moment. Obviously Timmy would be our first choice, but it depends on Mr Johnson so we will be waiting as long as possible on that.

“There’s plenty of jockeys around like Paul Carberry, Mick Fitzgerald and a couple of others. We would be hoping to have Timmy though.”

Al Eile is as low as 8-1 with Ladbrokes, while Colm Murphy’s runner Brave Inca is the 13-8 market leader.

Although Queally believes he is a worthy favourite, he also thinks Aintree Hurdle winner Al Eile must be worth consideration.

“Brave Inca is the horse (to beat) and mine would have eight or maybe 10lb to find, but if you look at his career it’s been an upward curve with him all the way,” he explained.

“If you go back to his Aintree run, he beat Inglis Drever who is a tough contender, so if he continues that upward curve he’s got to have an outstanding each-way chance.”

Queally is hoping conditions will be on the easier side at the Festival, adding: “Good, good to yielding ground would be ideal.”