'It's a step in the right direction' - Murphy thrilled as Benign Dictator bounces back to victory

Saturday: Uttoxeter

Olly Murphy hopes Benign Dictator can build momentum after his first win of the season in the opening 2m7½f maiden hurdle.

The six-year-old had failed to score since November 2021 and, despite going close on a couple of occasions, Murphy believes his runner retains plenty of talent.

He said: “He’s a horse who has plenty of ability, but his jumping has let him down on recent runs. It was nice to get his head in front and hopefully it’s done his confidence the world of good.

“He got brought down at Hereford and he lost his confidence on his last run here, so it’s a big step in the right direction and hopefully he can continue to progress.”

The Warren Chase trainer has surpassed the half-century mark for the season and although he has been pleased with the progress, he has found it a challenging period with the recent winter weather.

He said : “The team is in good nick, thank God! We could do with a drop of rain and I’ve got a lot of fresh horses still, so hopefully there’s a bit of rain in the forecast next week.

“It’s been an amazing winter with how dry it is now. It has been extraordinary, but us trainers can't control the weather, so hopefully we can get that much-needed rain.”

Winning again

The familiar colours of JP McManus returned to the winner's enclosure again as Guetapan Collonges landed the feature 3m handicap chase.

Trained by Charlie Longsdon, the seven-year-old came close to colliding with Mister Coffey after the final fence, but pulled clear to hold off his opponent.

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