Cheltenham Festival
4.02.2010
Middleham handler Ferdy Murphy has confirmed that his improving young chaser and horse racing tips favourite, Bedlam Boy is an intended starter at next month's Cheltenham Festival.
A winner of both his starts over fences this term, the nine-year-old ran with credit at last year's Festival when staying on to finish a respectable ninth in the cavalry charge that is the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle. Murphy has made no secret of the fact that he holds Bedlam Boy in high regard, comparing him favourably to Kalahari King, a short-head runner-up in last year's Irish Independent Arkle Chase.
The two-mile novice chasing championship is once again being targeted by Murphy, although he will also keep open the option to run his progressive sort in handicap company in the Grand Annual Chase.
Although he has tasted plenty of success at the top level, it is 12 years since Ferdy Murphy was in the winners' enclosure at the Cheltenham Festival and the Yorkshire-based trainer is particularly keen to get his name back on the score sheet. In 1998 he sent out French Holly to win the Royal & Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle, having two years earlier enjoyed his first big Cheltenham winner when the enigmatic Paddy's Return won the Triumph Hurdle.
Bedlam Boy, quoted at best betting odds of at least 33/1 in the Arkle Chase betting odds has shown a fine attitude in his two chase starts this season, never coming off the bridle and jumping accurately. It was a different story when the gelding first tackled larger obstacles back in the autumn of 2008 when he failed to complete on two of his three outings but he seems to have matured since and looks a different horse.
Murphy has given Bedlam Boy two entries at Doncaster this weekend and is anticipating a big performance to justify his belief in taking on big guns Captain Cee Bee, Sizing Europe and Somersby in six weeks time.
If the horse lives up to expectations then Bedlam Boy could be an attractive proposition for anyone with a Cheltenham free bet.
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