High hopes for Cardinal Palace John Murphy believes Cardinal Palace could develop into a contender for Flat staying honours in Cup races. The County Cork handler will now step the three-year-old gelding up in grade after he got off the mark in tremendous fashion by 11 lengths over a mile and a half at Belleweston on Saturday. "He's perfect, he's 100%. We've got several races in mind to mull over - a few Group Threes and a few Listed races over a mile-two and a mile and a half," said Murphy. "We'll think about it for a week and see where we are going to enter him then. He's a very good horse and he could be a proper Cup horse in time. I think he'll get up to a mile and six." Cardinal Palace was third behind stablemate Durand on his seasonal debut at Roscommon in June. The latter, a three-year-old gelding by Motivator is owned as well as trained by Murphy, and has a date at the July Sales at Newmarket this week. "He is going to the auction in Newmarket. He's a nice horse. If he doesn't sell we'll bring him home and aim him at a few races," said Murphy. "He'd probably go for the Group Three Royal Whip next month if he doesn't sell." Murphy also revealed that High Octane, third in the Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial, has gone to race in Hong Kong where his owner Lee Man Bun lives. "He's gone back to Hong Kong, That was always the plan that the owner would end up racing him back there," said the trainer.
