Murphy May Wait For Another Day With Promise

Ferdy Murphy will wait until Thursday before making a decision on Another Promise´s participation in the Aon Chase at Newbury on Saturday.

The West Witton trainer could wait and give the nine-year-old his first race since April in either a handicap hurdle at Newcastle next Tuesday or the Commercial First Ascot Chase at the Berkshire track on Saturday week.

?Graham (Lee) rode him work this morning. I still have to talk to him and see what we are going to do,? Murphy said.

?He?s going to have a school on Thursday and we?ll probably wait until then before deciding whether we run in the Aon or not.

?The following week there?s a two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle for him. He?s rated 95 over hurdles and 150 over fences, so it would be tempting to go to Newcastle to get a pipe-opener into him there.

?Then there?s the Commercial First Chase at Ascot on the Saturday so there are plenty of places to run him. I?m just very keen to get him on a track at the moment.

?He did a fairly severe bit of work this morning. We?ll decide whether to wait another week, go down the hurdle route or to put him in on Saturday. We?d only be going round in the Aon, I don?t think he?d be getting competitive.?

Another Promise, winner of a Grade One novice chase at Punchestown in April, holds entries in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Ryanair Chase and the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Festival.

Murphy confirmed that Aces Four, pulled up on his seasonal debut at Wetherby in November, would miss the Gold Cup.

?Aces Four is in full work at the moment but he wouldn?t be ready. I?d have to get a run into him before Cheltenham but that?s not possible,? the trainer continued.

?I made a mistake of trying to push him a little bit before Christmas and I?ll not do that again

?He?s got a great bunch of owners and they?re quite happy to go to either Aintree or Punchestown with him. That?s the plan at the moment,? Murphy told At The Races.

(C) PA Sport