KALASHNIKOV JUST SUPREME Murphy hurdler on target for Festival

STARTS WITH TIP-TOP RACING

KALASHNIKOV gave Amy Murphy the biggest success of her training career with an impressive victory in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.

And he is now looking a great prospect for Festival success in the the Sky Bet Supreme Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.

The five-year-old looked a high-class prospect after winning a Wetherby bumper and twice over hurdles at Wetherby and Doncaster.

He was then far from disgraced when losing his unbeaten record in finishing second in last month’s Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown.

Yesterday, making his handicap debut in one of the season’s most fiercely competitive races, Kalashnikov was 8-1 jointfavourite in the hands of Jack Quinlan and spent much of the two-mile journey in midfield.

Quinlan was rousting his mount along leaving the back straight but Kalashnikov responded to pressure to move into contention and battled his way to the lead on the run to the final flight.

Strong-travelling Bleu Et Rouge looked a big threat but Murphy’s charge was too strong and Quinlan saluted the crowd as they passed the post comfortably ahead.

Bleu Et Rouge was a clear second ahead of Spiritofthegames and Coeur Blimey in third and fourth respectively.

Quinlan said: “He’s a superstar but all credit has to go to Amy and the team at home.

“They deliver him to the races in fantastic order and it makes my job very easy. I’m just very, very lucky to have the opportunity to ride a horse like this.

“We were worried about the ground as he got bogged down in the heavy ground at Sandown.

“For a fast horse, for the first mile today he didn’t travel for me but his jumping was very good for a novice.

“Turning for home, he was creeping into contention but I was still thinking he wouldn’t be able to finish as well as he could on better ground. “But he is so brave.” Murphy said: “He’s just unbelievable.

“He’s so tough because he was never travelling and hated the ground.

“He’s so professional and he’s been professional from day one. He trains himself, I don’t train him.

“It definitely could be the Supreme now.

“He’s proven he goes in a big field and has the class so he deserves to be there.”

Sky Bet are now quoting 8-1 from 20s about Kalashnikov for the Supreme Hurdle.

Spokesman Michael Shinners said: “That was a very impressive win off a mark of 141 and that puts him right in the picture for the Sky Bet Supreme.”

MUDDY MARVEL: Jack Quinlan steers Kalashnikov to glory at Newbury