Ground conditions will decide Murphy’s sprint plans An unsettled weather forecast is not a major concern for Danny Murphy who has three bullets to fire in the €50,000 Sky Bet Handicap at the Curragh next Wednesday. Murphy has a trio of entries in the five-furlong sprint for three-year-olds and ground conditions will determine plans for the local trainer. Eclairage completed a treble on the Polytrack at Dundalk before Christmas and could reappear after a break of nearly six months, while Unique Journey received a hefty rise from the handicapper following a wide margin win at Naas in April. The form of Agouti Bear’s maiden win at Sligo last time has been boosted since and Murphy is quite relaxed about an uncertain weather forecast. “Agouti Bear has a light weight and Willie McCreery’s filly (Shoney) that was second in Sligo bolted up in Tipperary the other day. The horse is in form,” said Murphy. “Unique Journey needs soft ground while Eclairage, who won three races for us in Dundalk, and Agouti Bear like fast ground. “They won’t all run but the weather will decide.”
