Warwickshire horse trainer eyes Grade One glory with strong team for Aintree’s Grand National Festival

Olly Murphy has admitted it would be great to "cap off" what has been his best season to date with a Grade One winner at next month's Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree. 

The trainer, who is based in Wilmcote in Warwickshire, is currently on a seasonal best total of 84 winners and intends to send a strong team to the three-day meeting at the Merseyside track, which runs between April 7 and 9. 

Having already surpassed both his previous best tally of winners and breaking the £1million prize money barrier for the first time this campaign, the avid Aston Villa fan now hopes to open his account at the top level for the season. 

Heading up Murphy's team will be Brewin'upastorm, who will bid to better his fifth place finish in the Grade One Betway Aintree Hurdle 12 months ago in first time cheek pieces.

Already a winner at Aintree this season in the Betway Hurdle back in November, the Barbara Hester-owned nine year old was last seen finishing second when defending of his National Spirit Hurdle title at Fontwell last month. 

Murphy said: "We have had a great year and it would be nice to cap it off with a winner at Aintree.

"Brewin'upastorm will go to the Aintree Hurdle - I'm going to pop some cheek pieces on him as he just got a little bit lonely when he hit the front in the National Spirit.

 "I read that Epatante is going there but she had a hard race at Cheltenham in the Champion Hurdle. On his day and when he is on song I'm not afraid of anything.

"Two and a half miles around a flat track is perfect for him. We will look forward to going there and taking our chance in the race again. He is in good nick."

Murphy believes Thomas Darby is another who can show his true colours next month and will put him back in Grade One company in the Liverpool Hurdle. The decision comes after the trainer admitted it was his own fault that he was beaten in the Grade Two William Hill Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock Park last time out. 

He added: "Thomas Darby will go for the Grade One Liverpool Hurdle which he was third in last year. It was a complete trainer error running him at Haydock. The trainer should have been sacked for running him on heavy ground at Haydock Park!

"Luckily I've got very understanding owners in Graeme and Diana Whateley, who were fine about it. I should not have run him and you can put a line through that.  

"The rest of his form this season has been brilliant and he has been solid all the way through. 

"Until he won at Newbury I thought 'you have really got to start performing', but he was good there and jumping the second last in the Long Walk at Ascot I thought he was going to come and win his race, but there were no excuses on the day. 

"On his day he is good and he has a good each-way chance at Aintree."

A return to Merseyside is also expected to play to the strengths of Itchy Feet, who will attempt to double his Grade One tally in the Betway Bowl Chase having been taken out of the Randox Grand National on Tuesday when failing to meet the qualification criteria.

Murphy added: "Itchy Feet is likely to go there for the three mile Grade One. He didn't qualify for the Grand National this season as he hasn't finished in the first four over three miles over fences. 

"He has put in a lot of good performances this season but it was another trainer error running him at Kelso on his last start. 

"He didn't face his blinkers and the sharp track didn't suit him. We will freshen him up and it is positive that some of his best form is at Aintree." 

As for the rest of his team, Murphy believes it could be Washington in the Lydiate Handicap Hurdle, for conditional jockeys and amateur riders, that could prove his best chance of a winner outside of those running in Grade Ones. 

He added: "No Risk Des Flos could go there while Gunsight Ridge will go for the Red Rum Chase.

"Washington will run in the conditional jockeys' race. He is in great form and his form has worked out great.

"All in all we will have a nice team going there and hopefully we'll pick up some nice prize money."