Newmill Swerves Weekend Assignments Newmill, winner of last year's Queen Mother Champion Chase, could head straight to the Cheltenham Festival after bypassing two possible engagements this weekend.John Joseph Murphy entered his stable star in the Bank Of Ireland Hurdle at Naas and the ladbrokes.com Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse, but heavy ground scuppered Newmill's chances of a run.Murphy will now go back to the drawing board with his nine-year-old, although he would be unconcerned if he defended his Champion Chase crown without a prep run.'We will try (to get a run into him before the Festival) but it's not vital. His last run before the Festival last year was this week in the Kinloch Brae so that's not going to change life hugely,' Murphy explained.'It will be eight or nine weeks until Cheltenham ? it wouldn't bother me if he didn't get another run,' the County Cork handler told At The Races.Newmill has had just one start so far this term, finishing well behind Iktitaf in the Morgiana Hurdle.(C) PA Sport
