Trainer Paddy Neville on training winners like Alfred Wincham for the Flat instead of the Jumps

The four-year-old son of Dubawi was an impressive winner of the Sky Bet Extra Places Handicap at York last month under Oisin Orr, stepping up in trip to land the mile and six furlongs contest by eight lengths eased down.

Orr is set to take the ride again in the Virgin Bet November Handicap over a mile and a half, with the Coverham trainer pleased with his charge’s form since he came over from Ireland.

The horse won a National Hunt bumper there for Anthony McCann in May before being sold and moved to Neville’s stable in North Yorkshire as a hurdler.

But he won on his stable debut on the level at Pontefract in June, before finishing sixth on the all-weather at Southwell and then second in the Pertemps Handicap during the St Leger meeting for Orr.

Neville told The Yorkshire Post: “He’s in great form at the moment and came out of the race very well the last day and we are looking forward to it.

“The boys [owners Alfreds Army] bought him to go hurdling – but we have postponed that for a while.

“We went to the Flat and he just progressed on there so we will keep him there. There’s no real plan for the hurdles at the moment and we will see how we get on this Saturday.”

Neville is better known as a jumps trainer having guided stable star The Real Whacker to Grade One glory in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, as well as Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase and runs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National.

But he admits he is enjoying this unexpected turn in his training career.

He said: “I’m more of a three-mile-chaser man rather than going over six furlongs with a three-year-old maiden!

“I’m enjoying it, actually. I was more National Hunt but we are enjoying getting into the Flat a little bit as well.”

Neville struck again on the level at Pontefract last month, when Longshanks Luke got his head in front for the first time under Paul Mulrennan.

He said: “He was our first two-year-old runner and our first two-year-old winner, so that was great.

“Where we are it is easy because we have the facilities and being in the area and for the summer, it is ideal to have a couple of Flat ones to keep the show on the road.”

But despite his apparent “conversion” to the level, Neville admits he missed Alfred Wincham’s finest hour so far on the Knavesmire, as he was up at Hexham for Medieval Gold’s victory in a handicap hurdle.

He said: “It was great to have a winner at York, it is like the Cheltenham of around here, so to have one in York is a big thing for me – it’s mighty, even though I was in Hexham the same day with a winner there!”

Meanwhile, Olly Murphy feels Strong Leader retains all his old ability having watched him win Wetherby’s West Yorkshire Hurdle for a second time on Saturday.

Murphy said: “He came out of Wetherby actually as well as he ever has believe it or not. He’s a horse who can usually be stiff and sore for a day or two, but he’s really well and I’d imagine all routes lead to Newbury for the Long Distance Hurdle.

“I’m not saying he doesn’t get the credit he deserves, but because he’s a little inconsistent, plenty of people love to knock him.

“He’s won over £400,000 in prize-money now and he’s a long way off being done yet. He’s in good nick, he had to give a lot of weight to two good mares [Ruth Jefferson’s Lavida Adiva and Take No Chances] on Saturday and he was well on top at the line. I thought it was a good performance.”

He added: “People might say it was an uncompetitive Grade Two on Saturday, but one of the mares nearly won a Pertemps Final [Lavida Adiva] and the other was second in a Grade One at Aintree and had already had a run.”