RACING:Ferdy Murphy has elected to send Aces Four to Aintree rather than throw him in the deep end in Monday's Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National.
The eight-year-old is still a novice, having performed with credit to finish fourth to Denman in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham despite nearly falling in the latter stages, and the Leyburn trainer wants to look after his interests in the long-term.
"He definitely goes to Aintree for the novice chase on the Friday," said Murphy.
"I think he is potentially high class and I just don't want to be giving him a gruelling race at the end of the season.
"He has had a wind operation mid-season and I have had a good chat with the owner and it is probably best for the horse.
"The novice chase won't be easy but at the same time it is not a staying trip and he won't come under so much pressure."
Nine De Sivola will represent Murphy at Fairyhouse in a race he won three years ago with Granit d'Estruval, having been in the process of running well in the National Hunt Chase last month.
"He goes to Ireland," the trainer added.
"Graham Lee came to school him this morning and was absolutely thrilled — he was very, very good.
"He was running a big race at Cheltenham — he fell at the third last but is normally a very good jumper and it was just one of those things that happens in a race like that.
"He came to the fence on the wide outside and it just caught him out and he didn't get his landing gear out in time. It was a soft enough fall and he jumped brilliantly today.
"The race will probably be run to suit him and he can just drop
in and
hunt."
One of Murphy's two Cheltenham Festival winners this year — Jewson hero L'Antartique — is also on the road to Liverpool.
"He goes for the two and a half miler on the Saturday, the amateur conditional race and Tom Dreaper will ride him," he reported.