It's Groundhog Day as Punxsutawney Phil gets it right on debut to land punt

What could be more fitting than a win for Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day? Wonder if Bill Murray was on?

He would not have been alone as the newcomer was backed from around 13-2 into 9-2 before making a perfectly timed debut in the opening bumper at Newcastle.

North American tradition suggests that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on February 2 and sees its shadow it will go back into its den and winter will continue for six more weeks; if not, spring will come early.

The most famous ceremony involves Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania and was celebrated in the film Groundhog Day, starring Murray.

That is the favourite movie of owner-breeder Dan Gilbert, who stressed that launching the career of the Brian Ellison-trained four-year-old on February 2 was just a coincidence.

"We named him years ago but he was a big horse and too backward to run," he said. "Brian said to save him for bumpers.

"We did think it would be good fun to run him on Groundhog Day but I didn't even know he was going to be able to run until a few weeks ago when Brian said he was nearly ready.

"Brian sent me a video of the horse working at the track last week but it's just a guess really. I had a couple of quid but nothing really, just a bit of fun. Brian said he was a nice horse. But you don't know what you're running against.

"It's nice timing how it's worked out. If there hadn't been an all-weather card at Newcastle, he wouldn't have run. It was pot luck."

Watch Punxsutawney Phil make a winning debut

Ellison added: "He has been working well and has a bit about him. We took him away last week and he worked really well and we were expecting a nice run. We think he's a really nice horse.

"It wasn't planned! It was just luck it was on the same day. To be fair to Dan he bred the horse and the mare they had they lost her, but she's bred a few nice horses and this is the best of them all."

In the film, Murray plays a TV reporter who is condemned to repeat Groundhog Day over and over again, but Punxsutawney Phil could be set for a change of scene after his length win under Ben Robinson.

"I think we'll run him on the Flat," Gilbert said. "Ben was quite sweet on him afterwards and he said he gave him a good feel."

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