Newmill Team Mull Options

Newmill could tackle the bigger obstacles sooner than planned this term, with connections considering the William Hill ? Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on December 2 for their eight-year-old.

Last season's runaway Queen Mother Champion Chase hero is more likely to remain over timber, at least for his next race, but trainer John Murphy has suggested the state of the going could dictate which path he takes.

'There is an outside chance that we might consider the Tingle Creek Chase for him, but that would only become a possibility if they looked like getting goodish ground at Sandown,' he explained.

'It's much more likely that his next run will be over hurdles.

'He's really a good-ground horse and he will probably have a similar campaign to last season and run in the December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 29 before he goes back chasing.'

Should Newmill tackle the latter contest, he could well bump into Brave Inca once again after Colm Murphy signalled his intent to run this year's Champion Hurdle winner in the race.

The pair were both in action at Punchestown on Sunday, where Iktitaf and Asian Maze proved too strong.

Brave Inca finished third, beaten just over eight lengths by the Noel Meade-trained winner, while Newmill faded tamely to trail in a distant last of the four runners.

Murphy was not too disappointed with that reappearance effort, however, and reports his stable star to have come out of the race in good condition.

'Through a combination of testing ground and lack of fitness Newmill just got very tired, and that was no great surprise,' he told the Racing Post.

'He ate up last night and is fine today.'

(C) PA Sport