Newmill On Course To Defend Champion Crown Trainer John Murphy today reported last year's 15-length winner Newmill on course to defend his crown in the EUR200,000 Grade 1 Kerrygold Champion Chase on Tuesday, April 24, the opening day of Punchestown's 2007 Irish National Hunt Festival.The nine-year-old - who has also been entered in the EUR200,000 Grade 1 ACCBank Champion Hurdle on Friday, April 27 - is one of 24 horses engaged in the Kerrygold Champion Chase.On his most recent start, Newmill finished fourth in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham but Murphy believes his stable star is better than he showed that day.'I thought he ran very well at Cheltenham but without taking anything from the other horses I don't think things went totally his way,' said Murphy. 'He was on his face early on and there was a lot of aggravation at his jumps and he made two big mistakes - you just can't get away with them at two miles. The whole thing just didn't work out but he ran very well.'He has came out of the race in really great shape and the Kerrygold Champion Chase at Punchestown is the definite goal. Only if the ground was too firm would he go for the ACCBank Champion Hurdle.'Dempsey and River City, who finished second and third in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, could reoppose in the Kerrygold Champion Chase while other entries include Nickname, the novice Don't Push It and Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase winner Andreas, trained by Paul Nicholls.
