'Hopefully he's still on an upward curve' - Olly Murphy out to continue red-hot form with Sure Touch in Aintree's Grand Sefton

Olly Murphy is ready to unleash a powerful squad over the next few weeks and hopes Sure Touch can continue the yard's strong start to the season in Saturday's Boylesports Grand Sefton Handicap Chase at Aintree.

Murphy is operating at a 22 per cent strike-rate with 38 winners this term and sits behind only Dan Skelton in the trainers' championship.

Four of those winners have come with his five previous runners and Sure Touch will attempt to complete a five-timer for the stable after landing the Grade 3 Summer Plate at Market Rasen in July.

"He's in really good form and has been trained for the race," said Murphy. "He has a good record fresh and it's been the plan ever since he won the Summer Plate, so I'm really looking forward to running him. His jumping, touch wood, is a really big asset of his and he's schooled well over a National-style fence, so fingers crossed that with a clear round he'll have an each-way chance."

Sean Bowen will return to the saddle after partnering the third-placed Statuario at Market Rasen and Murphy remains confident there is more to come from the eight-year-old, who was cut to 8-1 (from 10) with William Hill on Wednesday.

He said: "It was a good performance. It was obviously a very competitive handicap and we've had no rain around, so decent ground suits him. I'm not too worried about the jumping test, so hopefully he's still on an upward curve." 

Olly Murphy: sits second behind Dan Skelton in the trainers championshipCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Murphy, like many other trainers, is waiting for rain to arrive before sending out more of his team, but he remains excited by what his string can do once conditions start to ease.

He said: "The horses are in great form and we've got a lot of horses ready to run, but we're just waiting on rain. We're in the same boat as everyone else, so we have to be patient. 

"I'm sure it'll start raining soon and it'll probably not stop, so we just have to wait it out. We have a big team of horses, probably as big of a team I've had since I started out, so I'm looking forward to it raining as we're ready to rock and roll as soon as the heavens open."

Stable jockey Bowen continues to bring the fight to Harry Skelton in the early jockeys' championship battle, and Murphy is anticipating another exciting title race. 

He added: "Sean's flying and is riding really well. He's got a big team of horses to ride this winter and it's exciting times for everyone. Harry [Skelton] is one of my best friends, so it'll make for interesting reading over the coming months, while Harry Cobden will get going once Paul [Nicholls] starts running plenty. It'll make good viewing and hopefully they all stay fit and healthy so we can get a good battle between the three of them."

One horse who will not run in the Grand Sefton is Arizona Cardinal. Last season's Topham scorer had been vying for favouritism at 7-1 but Stuart Edmunds, who trains the eight-year-old for the Oakman Racing Club, said: "Unfortunately he scoped dirty when he came back in from his work this morning. We're all gutted, however, it's just one of those things and the welfare of the horse has to come first. We will aim him at the Becher Chase next month."

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