Relegate out to make Festival grade again for Colm Murphy

After making the difficult decision to relinquish his licence in September 2016, it appeared Murphy’s days of saddling Festival winners were over.

Relegate will bid to earn both herself and trainer Colm Murphy a return to the Cheltenham Festival winner’s enclosure when she lines up for the Pertemps Final next week.

It is 14 years since Murphy claimed Champion Hurdle glory with the popular Brave Inca, since when he has also tasted success at the showpiece meeting with Big Zeb in the 2010 Queen Mother Champion Chase and Empire Of Dirt in the 2016 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate.