Tag Archive for: Strong Leader

Strong Leader off to solid start for the season at Newbury

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Strong Leader cemented his status as a major player in the staying division with a comeback victory in the Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.

Olly Murphy’s stable star came of age at the end of last season when successfully stepping up to three miles in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

The seven-year-old was a 4-7 favourite to pick up where he left off in this Grade Two contest under title-chasing Sean Bowen and knuckled down to get the job done in determined fashion in the end.

Outsider Flight Deck took the four-strong field along for much of the three-mile journey, but it was obvious rounding the home turn that his three chasing rivals had more to give.

Strong Leader moved powerfully towards the front, but was unable to initially shake off the challenge of Monmiral, who was bidding to provide Paul Nicholls and part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson with a treble on the card.

The market leader’s class and stamina eventually kicked in after the final flight, though, and there was three and a half lengths between the pair at the line, with dual Coral Cup winner Langer Dan – who typically runs his best races in the spring – not disgraced back in third.

Strong Leader with connections at Newbury
Strong Leader with connections at Newbury (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Murphy said: “I must admit I didn’t enjoy today, I felt a lot of pressure and I don’t usually. It’s the first time I’ve had a drink at the races in a long time!

“I’m pleased to get that out of the way. It was obviously his first start of the season and I had him as fit as I could get him at home without killing him with work. You’re obviously mindful of the rest of the season, so I did leave a little bit to work with.

“He’s not a flashy work horse and doesn’t do anything overly exuberantly, but on the whole I thought he jumped well bar the second-last.

“Sean knows him well and it was relatively straightforward. He improved the whole way through last season and I’d like to think he’ll do the same this year.”

Sponsors Paddy Power cut Strong Leader to 8-1 from 12-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, with the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on December 21 his likely next target.

“He’s as good a staying, three-mile hurdler as we’ve got this side of the water by the looks of things at the moment and hopefully we can keep progressing,” Murphy added.

“The plan would be to go to Ascot at Christmas, albeit we’ve never won right-handed and it didn’t look like it suited him last year in the Coral Hurdle over two and a half.

“It’s a bit of a question mark going right-handed, but it’s a Grade One and you’ve got to go and have a go sometimes in life.”

As for Cheltenham aspirations, he added: “Is he going to have to improve to beat Teahupoo? No doubt he is going to have to, but it’s only his third start at three miles, so I’m delighted to get that out of the way and get on with the season.”



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Strong Leader warming up for Long Distance return with Newbury spin

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Strong Leader will tune up for his impending return in Newbury’s Coral Long Distance Hurdle with a reconnaissance mission at the Berkshire track on Tuesday.

Olly Murphy’s seven-year-old has thrived since being upped to three miles and although narrowly touched off in the Cleeve Hurdle in January, he got more than worthwhile compensation when scooping Grade One honours in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree in the spring.

He was due to begin the current campaign at Wetherby in the West Yorkshire Hurdle, but having skipped that event on account of the ground will instead head to Newbury for a well-trodden staying hurdle path before potentially heading to Ascot at Christmas for their feature Long Walk Hurdle.

Before that though, Strong Leader will put the finishing touches to his preparations by taking part in Newbury’s annual gallops morning.

Murphy said: “The plan is to start him off at Newbury in the Long Distance Hurdle, he’s very well and I’m planning on galloping there on Tuesday during their gallops morning. He’s in a good place.

“Sean (Bowen) has been very happy with him and I’m looking forward to giving him a good blow on Tuesday morning and hopefully that will put him spot on for the following week.

“I would have loved to have got him going at Wetherby, but couldn’t because of the ground there. A flat left-handed track suits him well so hopefully Newbury is a good place to get him started.”

He added: “He’s going to carry a penalty for his Grade One win at Aintree which won’t make life easy, but I’m looking forward to running him, we’ve left a bit to work with and all being well we’ll head for the Long Walk after that.”



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Strong Leader lifts Liverpool Hurdle honours

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Freshness was the order of the day as Strong Leader landed a telling blow in the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

Olly Murphy’s seven-year-old had hit the frame on his first attempt at three miles in January’s Cleeve Hurdle and his handler’s decision to skip the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival was rewarded in Liverpool as the mount of Sean Bowen produced a brilliant display.

Towards the rear in the early stages as Aintree regular Flooring Porter was disputing the lead with the evergreen Dashel Drasher and King George hero Hewick, Bowen made a notable move aboard Strong Leader heading down the back side on the second circuit, soon joining those towards the head of proceedings.

Buddy One was another to take close order rounding the bend for home, with Jack Gilligan setting sail aboard the Irish raider. But Bowen was holding on to plenty of horse and after powering his way to the front jumping the last, he galloped on to score by four and a quarter lengths at odds of 8-1.

Buddy One bravely kept on for second, with Henry de Bromhead’s Hiddenvalley Lake third, but they were never a match for Strong Leader who gave his trainer just a second Grade One victory after Itchy Feet back in February 2020.

Strong Leader (left) on his way to winning the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle
Strong Leader (left) on his way to winning the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Murphy said: “That meant an awful lot to me, I’m chuffed.

“He probably should have won the Cleeve Hurdle as he got underneath his hurdles for a mile and a half that day and I could have gone back for the Stayers’, but I’m adamant he doesn’t like Cheltenham – he doesn’t come up and down those hills well enough.

“We were ballsy enough to leave Cheltenham alone. I wanted to go there as much as anyone as I’ve never had a winner at the Festival, but we saved him for today on a flat track. He’s been good around here twice before and he just got into a rhythm today and jumped and travelled good.

“He missed the last badly, but apart from that he was good. Normally your heart is in your mouth for the last mile and a half with him, but it was just for the last two furlongs this time!

“He’s a very good horse on his day and I’m over the moon. I wear my heart on my sleeve and big winners is where you want to be.

“It’s hard work, you’re getting up early in the mornings, like everyone else who trains horses. If you don’t enjoy days like this you’re in the wrong profession.

“I love pressure because if you have pressure you’re doing well and I thrive off that, but you’ve got to deliver on the big stage. It’s taken me a while to have our second Grade One winner and I think this is the best day of my career so far.

“This lad is a homebred, the owners live 10 minutes down the road from me and they come up and rub his back themselves. He’s the most gorgeous horse you’ll ever set your eyes on and for him to be a good racehorse as well is even better.

“I wouldn’t be so sure he’ll go chasing. I might school him over fences and see, but I’d be quite happy to come back and win this race next year.

“Me and Sean are very close. He’s a friend of mine as well well as riding for me and for him to have a big winner like that is fantastic. I’m so lucky to have him as my stable jockey.”

Bowen was thrilled to hit the mark for Murphy.

He said: “It’s incredible, I can’t tell you how good it is for Olly. He’s been a while without a Grade One and he deserves all the success he gets.

“Strong Leader is a very good horse. He never puts it together to be honest, he can be a poor old jumper, but he jumped well on the whole today.

“You need these big winners to prove you can do it on the big day, so it’s massive.”

Buddy One finished fourth in the Stayers’ at Cheltenham and his trainer Paul Gilligan hailed another fine performance.

He said: “It was an absolutely fantastic run. He was given a peach of a ride by Jack (Gilligan). It is brilliant to be here, and boxing on the big stage as you are in the main arena here.

“Even though he is not in first place he is next best to it. We will look forward to going chasing with him next season, and please God that he improves for a fence.

“When he was in front you are thinking ‘don’t let anything go by you’, but hats off to Olly Murphy, and fair play to him, as he is a nice guy and well done to him, but it would have been nice if we won it.

“He is a fantastic horse. Is he going to win a Grade One over hurdles? Well he hasn’t done yet, but he is there on the premises the whole time.

“It is great for the guys that own him as they are three fantastic lads, and credit to my own family at home as they work hard.

“He is entered at Punchestown, but I would imagine that is it for the season.”

Henry de Bromhead felt Hiddenvalley Lake might have preferred more testing conditions.

He said: “He ran really well but Rachael felt a bit more give in the ground might have helped. He was also a bit keen through the race.

“It was his first run in a Grade One and is still young and will jump a fence.”



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Aintree on the agenda again for Strong Leader

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Strong Leader is set to continue plying his trade in the staying hurdle division, having been handed a Liverpool Hurdle objective by trainer Olly Murphy.

The seven-year-old has shown smart form at Aintree in the past, winning a novice hurdle by eight lengths last term before ending the campaign by finishing a close-up second to Inthepocket over an extended two miles in the Grade One Top Novices’ Hurdle.

Since being well beaten over the minimum trip on his return to action, Strong Leader has gone up in distance, first running well in the Ascot Hurdle before excelling in his first try at three miles on Cheltenham Trials day in the Cleeve Hurdle.

On that occasion, only Stayers’ Hurdle-bound Noble Yeats and Paisley Park finished ahead of Strong Leader.

And with Murphy’s charge holding no graded entries for the Cheltenham Festival, he is set to bypass Prestbury Park in favour of another trip to Merseyside for their Grand National day Grade One.

“He’s going straight to Aintree for the three-mile race,” said Murphy.

Strong Leader in action at Aintree last spring
Strong Leader in action at Aintree last spring (Tim Goode/PA)

“I know everyone talked about Paisley Park and Noble Yeats and rightly so, but he was the unlucky loser. He never jumped a hurdle, didn’t come down the hill and yet was only beaten a length and a quarter.

“He relished the step up to three miles. His sectionals were very good over two miles but he’s always worked like a horse who would want a trip.

“He will go straight to Aintree and whether he will be good enough, I’m not sure, but he’s a very good horse on his day – and the one day it all clicks for him, then he could win a big one.”



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Thunder getting ready to Rock and roll into Cheltenham

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Thunder Rock is being prepared for the Virgin Bet December Gold Cup Handicap Chase next month, with Olly Murphy keen to have a crack at Cheltenham’s valuable pre-Christmas feature.

The seven-year-old won his first two outings over the larger obstacles before running with credit in some high-class events last term and impressed on his return to action at Carlisle with a victory over Mahler Mission in the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Chase.

The runner-up is disputing favouritism for Saturday’s Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, with Murphy targeting handicap riches of his own at Cheltenham on December 16.

There is a prize-fund of £130,000 up for grabs in the showpiece event of Prestbury Park’s December Meeting and the Warren Chase handler is keen to take his chance while Thunder Rock is currently rated 146 over fences.

“He’s in good form and he’s being trained for the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham,” said Murphy.

“That’s the plan of action and it’s his turn to try to win at Cheltenham and we’re going to have a go at a really good handicap. He’s come out of Carlisle really well and he’s going to be trained for that race.

“It wasn’t a humungous entry so we’re going to have a go and it’s unbelievable prize-money. He actually ran really well over course and distance there in January in the Dipper, he’s in good form, we’ll go there fresh and we’re looking forward to running him.”

Strong Leader bounced back to form at Ascot
Strong Leader (left) bounced back to form at Ascot (Nigel French/PA)

Murphy is also taking plenty of encouragement from the return to form of Strong Leader, who bounced back from disappointing in the Welsh Champion Hurdle to finish a gallant second to the improving Blueking D’Oroux in Ascot’s Coral Hurdle.

It was the first time the Grade One runner-up had competed over further than two miles and the trainer believes there will be more to come over intermediate and staying distances as the season progresses.

Murphy continued: “I would imagine you will see him over further in time and he probably didn’t jump as well as he can. Whether that has cost him the race or didn’t cost him the race, I don’t know but it certainly didn’t help his cause.

“I’m not sure where we will go yet and I haven’t spoken to his owners, but there are handicap options over Christmas, there’s the Relkeel Hurdle (Cheltenham, January 1) and there’s a two-and-a-half-mile Graded race at Lingfield over Winter Millions weekend in January.

“Those types of races will be on the cards and don’t be surprised if you see him over three miles before the end of the season. But I think we will see him improve an awful lot and we haven’t seen the finished article yet.

“He’s definitely a horse who wants a trip and two miles is far too sharp for him. I’m looking forward to making a plan for him and it will definitely be over middle distances or even further.”



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Murphy mulling Cheltenham and Aintree choices for Strong Leader

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Olly Murphy is considering both Cheltenham and Aintree options for his promising hurdler Strong Leader.

The six-year-old has been beaten just once in five career starts, his sole loss being a second-placed run in a Cheltenham bumper in October.

After that the gelding made a seamless transition to hurdling, winning his debut at Uttoxeter before going on to land an Aintree novice by eight lengths from subsequent wide-margin winner Etalon.

Next came a Southwell novices’ hurdle on Sunday, a race in which Murphy’s charge cantered home to win by an easy 15 lengths under a penalty.

Strong Leader holds an entry for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and could head there next, but Murphy has an alternative plan that involves targeting the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton and then aiming for Aintree instead.

Strong Leader (left) at
Strong Leader (left) at Aintree (Nigel French/PA)

“He came out of his run well, we haven’t quite decided what we’re going to do,” he said.

“We’ll either go to the Dovecote and go to Aintree, or go straight to the Supreme.

“It’s just a little bit frustrating that he hasn’t gone up in grade at any point, just to dip our toe in the water and see where we are.

“There haven’t been options for him and he’s a horse who doesn’t want heavy ground, so that’s limited were we’ve been able to go, It is what is is and it’s the way the programme book works over here.

“The form has all worked out well, albeit I’d have loved to have run him in a graded race before going to Cheltenham, if that’s where we’re going to go, but he’s gained some more experience and he looks to be progressing nicely.”



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