'I'm tempted by Ireland for him - I don't think the Irish are as strong as us'

This stable tour was originally printed in the Racing Post Weekender on Wednesday, December 9. Buy the Weekender every week for top stable tours and great insight from weekly columnist Alan King.

Despite the abrupt end to last season Olly Murphy enjoyed another great campaign with his first Grade 1 success among his 67 winners.

The Stratford-upon-Avon handler has made a cracking start to the current season with 33 winners already on the board with many more to come.

He said: “We are kind of only just getting going as we did not have the rapid start we usually get to the new season. There were too many seconds in the early weeks, but they are going great now and we have the best team I have had in my four years as a trainer. Clearly we have some very smart horses at the top end of the spectrum but the youngsters, many of whom are waiting to make their debuts, look particularly promising this term.”

Murphy expects the stars to fly the Warren Chase Stables flag this season will be Itchy Feet again, when the ground gets testing, Brewin’upastorm, Nickolson and he is very sweet on one of the lesser-exposed types in Lord Of Kerak.

“There are any number that could do well for us as we have so many with potential, which is exciting for everyone in the team.

“Although things have not been easy this year I would be disappointed if I couldn’t surpass last year’s tally of 67 winners and our prize-money haul during the same period, despite the drop in race values.

“Right from the start I have been trying to up the quality and not the quantity and we have a cracking team here now with around 125 horses and a great balance between young and old.”

Alpha Carinae
5 ch m Robin Des Champs – Annas Present
She won her only bumper, at Newcastle, last season and looked good on her return in September when successful in a 2m4f novice hurdle. She has since made the frame in her two subsequent runs and has a handicap mark of 125 now. We will take our time with her but her future will be as a chaser.

African Dance
5 br g Shirocco – Dani California
A lovely youngster who won at the second time of asking over hurdles at Sedgefield last month. He did that well enough and we will look to run him with a penalty in a novice hurdle before going handicapping. He will win his share of races.

Brewin’upastorm
7 b g Milan – Daraheen Diamond
A very classy horse who won back-to-back novice chases last season at Carlisle and Taunton before unseating at Cheltenham. We brought him back at the start of last month where he was out of the frame behind Imperial Aura. That was over 2m4f so I thought it would be worth dropping him back in trip for the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase last weekend. He jumped very cold at the start and is just not fluent enough at his fences at championship level. We will drop him in grade now and get his confidence back.