Golden chance of double for North Yorkshire trainer Ferdy Murphy (From York Press)

Golden chance of double for North Yorkshire trainer Ferdy Murphy

9:16am Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

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North Yorkshire ace Ferdy Murphy, who likes nothing better than a winner at the Cheltenham Festival, has two golden chances to shine on day three of National Hunt racing’s most prestigious fixture tomorrow.

The West Witton trainer is fancied to complete a double with The Hollingwell and Watch My Back, both set to be ridden by stable jockey Graham Lee.

The Hollingwell is twice a winner over fences this season, at Hexham and Warwick, his latest victory at the end of January being achieved in very cosy fashion. The seven-year-old has the right sort of profile to carry off the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Watch My Back runs in the Byrne Group Plate Handicap Chase.

Lightly raced and a wide margin winner at Doncaster last time out, Watch My Back looks sure to go well for the north.

The Ladbrokes World Hurdle takes pride of place on tomorrow’s card and while Tidal Bay, trained in County Durham by Howard Johnson, is expected to run a major race, last year’s winner Big Buck’s is surely going to take a huge amount of beating.

The outstanding staying hurdler of his generation, Big Buck’s dug deep last season in this race to get the better of Punchestowns and, if anything, he has looked an even better horse this term even though he has never been seriously tested.

Ruby Walsh knows him well, which is a vital factor. Big Buck’s tends to go through a flat spot in his races, but stamina is his forte and the power he showed at the end of last year’s contest was the difference between victory and defeat.

Big Buck’s to win again and Tidal Bay and Karabak to follow him home is my idea of the outcome to the feature race.

Nicholls and Walsh also have strong claims in the Ryanair Chase with Poquelin, who will relish the drying ground and who has solid course form.

That said, I fear he may again have to play second fiddle to Tranquil Sea, who got the better of Poquelin on this course earlier in the campaign and who looked in good form when winning cosily in his latest race in his native Ireland.

Whatever the fate of Poquelin, Nicholls and Walsh have excellent chances with Alfie Sherrin in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Final. He looks to be a horse ahead of the handicapper, judged on his latest win at Newbury, form which has worked out very well indeed.

Tomorrow’s nap selection is Shillingstone in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Chase.

Trained by Robert and Sally Alner, Shillingstone has won two of his three races this season and he was far from disgraced when sixth at Sandown on his latest start four weeks ago.

He ticks all the right boxes in this amateur riders’ event and he will be ridden by Sheriff Hutton-based Mark Walford, an experienced pilot, who will give him every assistance.

Racing selections

Cheltenham
1.30 The Hollingwell, 2.05 Alfie Sherrin, 2.40 Tranquil Sea, 3.20 Big Buck’s, 4.00 Watch My Back, 4.40 Shillingstone (NAP).

Southwell
2.30 Grudge, 3.05 Punching, 3.45 Bullwhip, 4.25 Rebel Duke, 5.05 Kingsdale Orion, 5.35 Lilly Grove.

Tomorrow’s other meetings:
Wolverhampton and Hexham.

Today’s meetings:
Cheltenham, Huntingdon, Kempton and Southwell.