Murphy wary of Eile task
Timmy Murphy believes recent December Festival Hurdle winner Al Eile is a better horse at Aintree than at Cheltenham – but admits the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle looks an open race this year.
After repelling Hardy Eustace over two miles in Leopardstown’s recent Grade One, trainer John Queally suggested his charge would at least get an entry at Prestbury Park.
However, Al Eile has won the Aintree Hurdle twice before and a bid for the hat-trick could be on the cards.
Paddy Power are as short as 14-1 about Al Eile for the Champion Hurdle but Murphy said: “He’s not guaranteed to run there.
“He’s been there a couple of times before and in truth he’s probably not at his best around Cheltenham.
“He loves it at Liverpool but it (the Champion) is a wide-open race so I wouldn’t like to say he wouldn’t run (at Cheltenham),” the jockey told At The Races.
