Festival hopefuls enjoy ‘bucket and spade day’

THEY are Ferdy Murphy’s “magnificent seven” – the horses the North Yorkshire trainer hopes will continue his winning streak at the Cheltenham Festival which begins a week today.

The mini-cavalry made an imposing sight, their reflections visible on a sun-kissed Redcar Beach, as the West Witton handler put his charges through one of their final workouts.

He calls it “a bucket and spade day” – but this robust piece of work still involved a six-mile hack followed by a five-mile walk, short canter and paddle in the sea after the horses had rolled on the sand.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The trainer, who has won 10 Festival races at jump racing’s Olympics in recent years and who will be the Yorkshire Post’s guest tipster next week, believes the day out freshens up his horses and they are invigorated by the sea air.

“I started it about six years ago and it works. We bring them here if there’s snow or ice on the gallops back home. They love it,” said Murphy. “The sand’s grand and the saltwater really helps their legs. It’s how the late Ginger McCain trained Red Rum to win three Grand Nationals.”

As waves broke against the horses’ hooves, the main group was headed by Riguez Dancer followed by The Hollinwell, the grey Divers, Going Wrong and Kalahari King, Murphy’s stable star who has been placed at four successive Festivals and is on the comeback trail after a recent injury.

They were followed by De Boitron, a leading contender for the Grand Annual Chase, and Charingworth whose rider Lucy Alexander, in the red cap, has enjoyed a memorable breakthrough season and will have her first rides at the Festival.

Yet, while there were none of the obstacles that will confront the super septet next week, they still had to dodge various dogs who were running in and out of the water.