High hopes for Octane

Monday 15 October 2012

Cork trainer John Murphy takes his unbeaten colt High Octane over to Leicester to try him out in better company in the Wymeswold Conditions Stakes on Tuesday.

The Motivator colt, who holds an entry in the Racing Post Trophy, scored in a maiden at Gowran early last month and will be ridden by Jimmy Fortune in the seven-furlong event.

"I've been finding it very hard to get some better ground for him, the ground has been terrible in Ireland and hopefully it won't be too soft at Leicester," said Murphy.

"He won well at Gowran and has been training well, we've been very happy with him. He is in a lot of big races later in the year, so we'll see how he gets on here."

High Octane's ability will be tested by several other unbeaten colts.

John Gosden's chestnut Seek Again looked a useful recruit on his debut at Newmarket, while the Richard Hannon representative Van Der Neer had no difficulty in getting off the mark at Yarmouth.

"We like Van Der Neer, who won well on his debut at Yarmouth," the trainer told www.richardhannon.co.uk.

"He is the first horse that we have trained for Saeed Manana of Luso, Needle Gun and Warrsan fame and, though the ground was fast at Yarmouth, he is by Dutch Art and they usually like a bit of cut. He was green on his debut and will improve."

Murphy and High Octane's owner John Nordlokken have another runner in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Stakes, Capitol Hill. He finished in mid-division behind Derby prospect and recent Group winner Trading Leather in another Gowran Maiden.

The trainer said: "He'a a nice horse too, and is coming over in his own right."