Warwickshire-based trained Olly Murphy has made an excellent start to the 2025/26 British Jumps season, with over 90 winners already going his way. He will head into the 2026 Cheltenham Festival with strong momentum.
Despite having so much success in British jumps racing over the last few years, Olly Murphy is still looking for his first triumph at the meeting. He will be hoping to put that right this season.
Resplendent Grey in Gold Cup Mix
Murphy is set to be involved in this year’s Blue Riband event at the Cheltenham Festival, as he will saddle Resplendent Gold in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. His horse is a 100/1 outsider in the bet on Cheltenham 2026 market.
Resplendent Grey will have to overcome a strong field that includes dual winner Galopin Des Champs, who tops the Gold Cup Antepost odds, at 11/2. The 2023 and 2024 winner is among a strong team of horses set to travel across from Ireland.
Resplendent Grey fends off Handstands in a thrilling conclusion to the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase for Sean Bowen and Olly Murphy pic.twitter.com/MWsMNux0Vq
— Carlisle Racecourse (@CarlisleRaces) November 2, 2025
Murphy’s chaser won the Colin Parker Memorial Chase at Carlisle earlier this season. On his most recent appearance at Windsor, he finished second behind Protektorat in the Fleur de Lys Chase. If the eight-year-old takes another step forward on his form at Cheltenham, he could put up a big challenger to the leading Irish horses, and pick up some valuable prize money for Murphy in the Trainers’ Championship standings.
Strong Leader on Course for Stayers’ Hurdle
Grade One winner hurdler Strong Leader is on course to feature in this year’s Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. The nine-year-old has consistently been one of the leading 3m hurdlers in the UK over the last two seasons.
Bowen lands a big one!
Strong Leader wins his first Grade 1 in the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle pic.twitter.com/iuMwVPKkps
— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 13, 2024
Strong Leader’s highlight so far was his victory in the Liverpool Hurdle at the 2024 Grand National Meeting. He began his latest campaign with success in the Grade Two West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby. On his two runs since then, he has finished second at Newbury and Ascot.
Murphy could be set to saddle two horses in this year’s Stayers’ Hurdle, as he has also given Gwennie May Boy an entry in the Championship contest. Last season’s Rendlesham Hurdle winner joined Murphy’s yard earlier this season. He has yet to show his best form in the campaign, but he remains rated 144 in the official ratings, so that keeps him in contention for Grade One races.
Talented Novices Set to Test Themselves at The Highest Level
The Warren Chase Stables trainer has made several entries for the novice races at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. The Blue Room has been one of the standout novices from his yard this season, and he will feature in either the Turners Novices’ Hurdle or the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. Murphy will decide which of those two races his horse will line up in closer to the week.
Wade Out has been one of Murphy’s standout novice chasers this season. The horse won his opening two starts over fences at Cheltenham. He did suffer defeat on his latest outing at Windsor, but he remains on course for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase on day two of the meeting.
Murphy arguably goes into this year’s Festival with his strong team yet, and with Champion Jockey Sean Bowen set to ride many of his horses, it could be a good week for the trainer.
Article by Ben Spencer.
