Murphy mob-handed for Irish National
Ferdy Murphy is to launch an all-out attack on the Powers Whisky Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on April 9.
Murphy won the race in 2004 with 33-1 chance Granit D’Estruval and could have as many as four runners in the race, won last year by Pat Hughes’ Point Barrow.
Murphy has targeted the race for Kitski after the nine-year-old chased home Homer Wells in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park.
“Kitski has been laid out for this race ever since running fourth in the Thyestes last January,” said Murphy.
“He’s a nice little horse who stays and jumps well and I think the track at Fairyhouse should really suit him.
“If Joes Edge (winner of the William Hill Trophy) doesn’t get in at Aintree he’d go to Fairyhouse in search of the 100,000 bonus, which is nothing to be sniffed at.
“Aces Four ran a big race in the Royal & SunAlliance last week and he’s another who might travel.
“Hot Weld is being aimed at the Scottish National as he needs fast ground but it all depends on the weather over here and in Ireland so he’s been entered also.
“We have to enter them all to sort things out closer to the time but the Irish Grand National has been a fantastic race for us.”
Distant Thunder, just touched off by Joes Edge at Cheltenham, is a likely runner for Noel Chance.
“Distant Thunder was a bit unlucky at Cheltenham and if the horse (Heltornic) hadn’t fallen at the second last he might have towed him along for a bit longer,” said Chance.
“He was left in front too long but such is life. He’s a very straight forward horse but he needs a dig in the ground.
“Andrew McNamara, who rode him last week, will be offered the ride and if he’s not available, we’d see whether Richard Johnson might be free to travel over.”
One intriguing entry is Whyso Mayo, narrowly denied in the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham last week.
“I was gutted after the race because he should have won. He made a desperate mistake at the first and Damian (Murphy) did brilliantly to stay on,” trainer Raymond Hurley told At The Races.
“He lost his confidence a bit after the first so he had an awful lot of ground to make up and then he went through the last and landed on all fours.
“He did brilliantly, he was only beaten half a length so he was very unlucky on the day.
“He was probably the best horse in the race, which is taking nothing away from the winner (Drombeag).
“He’ll have an entry in the Irish Grand National and we’ll have to see what sort of handicap mark he gets as it will be the first time he will have been in one.”
Other Cheltenham Festival winners entered include Butler’s Cabin and Cloudy Lane, while Gold Cup fifth Cane Break could also take his chance.
Snowy Morning, Character Building and Far From Trouble are other interesting possibles for the Irish National, which has attracted 88 entries at this stage.
