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Strong Leader Seeking Back-To-Back Coral Long Distance Hurdle Victories
Olly Murphy – trainer of Strong Leader – is hoping to see him defend his crown at Newbury in Friday’s feature
Olly Murphy sends forward a strong team to the Coral Gold Cup Meeting and has his sights set on a big-race double, starting with last year’s Grade 2 Coral Long Distance Hurdle winner, Strong Leader, who is one of seven runners declared in this year’s renewal at Newbury Racecourse on Friday 28th November. The feature of the first day is scheduled for 3:00pm on a seven-race card, with ground conditions currently reported as Soft, Good to Soft (in places) on the Hurdle track.
Currently 2/1 favourite with sponsors Coral, Strong Leader got his season off to a positive start by landing the Grade 2 bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby earlier this month. He carries a penalty for this victory but has dropped 2lb from last year.
Among his rivals is Impose Toi for Nicky Henderson. The seven-year-old impressed when finishing second in the 2025 Grade 3 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle and has since got his season underway by winning in good style at Aintree. Stable jockey, Nico de Boinville will be in the saddle.
The only mare in the field, Take No Chances, represents the in-form Dan Skelton team. A Grade 2 Mares’ Hurdle winner at Ascot, she went on to place at Grade 1 level at both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals. Her most recent run saw her push Strong Leader right to line, only to go down by a neck in the bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby.
A 25/1 winner of the Grade 3 Pertemps Network Final at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, Doddiethegreat also made his seasonal reappearance in the Grade 2 bet365 Hurdle, finishing third behind Strong Leader and Take No Chances.
Proven stayer, Hewick will be making a first appearance at Newbury on Friday. Shark Hanlon’s 2023 Grade 1 King George VI Chase winner finished eighth in the Aintree Grand National last season but is being switched back to the hurdling. Having won on seasonal debut over hurdles at Thurles in the hands of Paddy Hanlon, he returned to chasing in the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, but was not seen to best effect.
Rated 169 at his peak over fences, Ahoy Senor will be tried back over hurdles in an effort to rediscover past form. The Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore trained ten-year-old won two-from-two over the smaller obstacles earlier in his career, including a shock 66/1 victory in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, where he beat the 11/10 favourite Bravemansgame by six lengths.
The outsider of the field, Botox Has, trained by Gary & Josh Moore, brings plenty of Grade-race experience but has yet to get his head back in front since taking the 2024 Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle under Caoilin Quinn who will partner him again on Friday.
