Murphy junior hoping for National success and family bragging rights

The nine-year-old sprang a massive surprise when finishing fifth at odds of up to 500-1 in the race last year – a feat made all the more remarkable when it transpired Paul Murphy's charge had run half of the race with a serious head injury.

"He ran a fantastic race last year, he was so brave as he ran the final circuit with a fractured skull," the Coverdale handler explained. "If you watch a slow-motion replay, you can see when Zabenz falls at the water, he just gets up and runs into our boy – he basically headbutted him.

"He bled for three days afterwards, but as he had a history of bursting blood vessels we weren't too worried initially.

"After a couple of days, though, we called the vet in and he said he'd fractured his skull and you could actually feel a little bit of bone.

"Mother Nature is the only way of fixing the problem and once the vets had found there was no pressure on the brain or anything, we just turned him out in the field and gave him time."

While Cerium is now over that problem and his vision is perfect, Murphy admits his left eye is still a little cloudy but he was more concerned about building his confidence back up.

"Obviously you would think it will have left some kind of mental scar as you don't forget things like that," he said.

Murphy's biggest concern, like last year, is whether his stable star makes the 40-runner cut. He faces an anxious wait until Thursday's final declarations.

He's even prepared to withdraw the higher-rated Mr Pointment, a more recent acquisition and with winning experience over the National fences, if it means Cerium can take a deserved place in the National.

Cerium started out his career with Paul Nicholls, winning at Grade Two level over hurdles and fences, but lost his way after breaking a blood vessel in an Ascot Grade One back in 2007 before eventually being snapped up for just 18,000 guineas by Murphy the following May.

He was bought for owners Fergus and Judith Wilson, a pair who split the opinions of the racing fraternity as they routinely send out rank outsiders in some of the biggest races of the year. However, Murphy defends their right to run the horses in events of their choosing and while Cerium was well down the field in the Gold Cup last year, he fared respectably in eighth this time behind Imperial Commander and Denman.

The handler was particularly pleased to see him finish ahead of leading National fancy Tricky Trickster at Cheltenham and gain a little ground on another Nicholls inmate in the process.

"With bleeders I think it's best to really plan their races so we targeted the Gold Cup with him and he ran a great race," said Murphy who explained that he rejuvenated the horse by adding spice and variety to his training – including plenty of road work.

"I know he was an outsider and people argue he shouldn't have run in the Gold Cup, but the owner wanted to run him in that race and he pays the bills.

"He could have run in plenty of other races at the Festival and maybe been placed, but the owner wanted a runner in the big one and my job is just to get him ready for that.

"He beat Tricky Trickster but the main thing for me was that he finished closer to My Will (third in last year's National) this year so either he's getting worse, or our horse is getting better.

"I think it was a good prep run and it's a good starting point as it wasn't a hard race for him. Davy (Russell, his jockey) just let him pop away and he's come back better than last year."

Murphy is expecting Aintree to bring about further improvement in a year when he thinks everything could be on their side.

"Aintree is a course that really seems to suit him. He's what I would call a fluid jumper. Some horses make getting from A to B a hard task but it's just so easy for him and he really seems to like the National fences," he explained.

"He's on the same mark as last year so obviously it will be a close call for getting in but he should have a cracking chance. He's nine now and seems better than ever so it's in his favour."

Murphy knows plenty about what it takes to win over the National fences having partnered Gee-A to victory in the 1992 Fox Hunters' for Geoff Hubbard, a former patron of his father Ferdy, Yorkshire's leading National Hunt trainer.

Murphy learned the business in the family's West Witton yard before striking out on his own in 2006 and is keen to equal or surpass his dad's Aintree best.

"To me the Grand National is the holy grail. I know people prefer the Gold Cup and don't get me wrong, I would love to win it too, but Aintree is just such an occasion," he added.

"My dad finished fourth with Addington Boy in 1999 so I've got to go a place better to be level with him and I'd love to be the first in the family to win."

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