Cheltenham Festival: Brewin’Upastorm fine after dramatic weekend fall and will head straight to the Festival confirms Olly Murphy
Murphy's other exciting novice hurdler Thomas Darby will also next be seen at the Festival with the Supreme his likely target
BREWIN'UPASTORM will head straight to Cheltenham Festival despite his dramatic final-flight fall on Saturday.
Olly Murphy's exciting novice hurdler was upsides eventual winner Birchdale until his tumble but emerged unscathed.
Murphy reported him none the worse on Monday and was encouraged enough by the performance to aim him at the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle itself, for which he is a general 14-1 shot.
He said: "He's absolutely fine. He came home sound as a pound, and there's not a bother on him.
"It was disappointing, obviously, but that's jumps racing for you. We'll just move on and look forward to March.
"He's not a bad jumper, and I don't think he's the kind of horse that would have his confidence knocked by a fall.
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"We'll get plenty of schooling into him between now and the Festival, and he'll go straight there now.
"He'll more than likely go for the Ballymore. He'll be entered in a couple of handicaps - but the Ballymore is the plan."
Another Murphy inmate with Festival aspirations is Thomas Darby.
Already a winner at Cheltenham this season, the six-year-old made the most of having his sights lowered when bolting up at Taunton earlier this month, and the Supreme Novices' Hurdle is likely to be his next port of call.
Murphy added: "He's in good form. He had a quiet enough 10 days after Taunton, and the plan is to go straight to the Supreme.
"Again, he'll probably be entered in a couple of handicaps. But all being well, he'll end up in the Supreme - and if he gets a bit of nice spring ground I hope he'll have a good each-way chance."