Strong Leader© Photo Healy Racing
Strong Leader cemented his status as a major player in the staying division with a comeback victory in the Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
Olly Murphy’s stable star came of age at the end of last season when successfully stepping up to three miles in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.
The seven-year-old was a 4-7 favourite to pick up where he left off in this Grade Two contest under title-chasing Sean Bowen and knuckled down to get the job done in determined fashion in the end.
Outsider Flight Deck took the four-strong field along for much of the three-mile journey, but it was obvious rounding the home turn that his three chasing rivals had more to give.
Strong Leader moved powerfully towards the front, but was unable to initially shake off the challenge of Monmiral, who was bidding to provide Paul Nicholls and part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson with a treble on the card.
The market leader’s class and stamina eventually kicked in after the final flight, though, and there was three and a half lengths between the pair at the line, with dual Coral Cup winner Langer Dan – who typically runs his best races in the spring – not disgraced back in third.
Murphy said: “I must admit I didn’t enjoy today, I felt a lot of pressure and I don’t usually. It’s the first time I’ve had a drink at the races in a long time!
“I’m pleased to get that out of the way. It was obviously his first start of the season and I had him as fit as I could get him at home without killing him with work. You’re obviously mindful of the rest of the season, so I did leave a little bit to work with.
“He’s not a flashy work horse and doesn’t do anything overly exuberantly, but on the whole I thought he jumped well bar the second-last.
“Sean knows him well and it was relatively straightforward. He improved the whole way through last season and I’d like to think he’ll do the same this year.”
Sponsors Paddy Power cut Strong Leader to 8-1 from 12-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, with the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on December 21 his likely next target.
“He’s as good a staying, three-mile hurdler as we’ve got this side of the water by the looks of things at the moment and hopefully we can keep progressing,” Murphy added.
“The plan would be to go to Ascot at Christmas, albeit we’ve never won right-handed and it didn’t look like it suited him last year in the Coral Hurdle over two and a half.
“It’s a bit of a question mark going right-handed, but it’s a Grade One and you’ve got to go and have a go sometimes in life.”
As for Cheltenham aspirations, he added: “Is he going to have to improve to beat Teahupoo? No doubt he is going to have to, but it’s only his third start at three miles, so I’m delighted to get that out of the way and get on with the season.”
