MURPHY’S A BAWN WINNER
TRAINER Olly Murphy is hoping Finawn Bawn can take the step up in class in his stride at Warwick on Saturday.
The strapping gelding will be thrown in at the deep end in the Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle on just his third start over timber.
The Grade Two event looks set to attract a quality field with Nicky Henderson’s highlyrated Birchdale heading the market.
But Murphy is confident Finawn Bawn can make his presence felt in the £35,000 contest, which has been won by a string of stars including Inglis Drever (2004), The New One (2013) and Willoughby Court (2017).
The six-year-old won an Ayr bumper last season before finishing a promising third to Eldorado Allen at Sandown in November.
Last month Finawn Bawn made a good impression when winning a novice hurdle at Bangor by nine lengths.
Murphy said: “He won at Bangor despite not liking the track. He is a big improver and the galloping track at Warwick will really suit him.
“But he will have to improve another 10 to 12lb again on Saturday as it is a hot race.
“It is a decent prize and we’ll give it a go, although he does seem to be a big price in the early markets for the race.
“I’m hopeful he may progress into a graded horse.” Murphy, who struck at Bangor with the promising JP McManus five-year-old Collooney yesterday, has made a huge impression since leaving his role as assistant to Gordon Elliott in Ireland and going it alone.
He is enjoying an excellent season and has saddled 63 winners – 16 more than the whole of last season. Meanwhile, JLT Novices’ Chase favourite Master Dino has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival with a leg injury.
He has undergone an operation for a hairline fracture on a hind leg after picking up the injury when winning at Plumpton on Sunday. Guillaume Macaire’s five-year-old easily accounted for Gary Moore’s classy Knocknanuss
Macaire had hoped to run him in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown but all plans are now on hold.
He is owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and their racing manager, Anthony Bromley, tweeted: “Master Dino has had surgery this morning to insert three screws in his hind leg. Glad to say he is fine after the operation. Now the long road of recuperation.”