Owners remove £195,000 Grade 2-winning horse from Gordon Elliott's yard with his blessing and send to his protege
FIND THE SPARK Owners remove £195,000 Grade 2-winning horse from Gordon Elliott's yard with his blessing and send to his protege
GORDON ELLIOTT has given his blessing to a £195,000 Grade 2-winning superstar being removed from his yard - and sent to his protege.
The legendary Irish handler believes a change of scenery at Olly Murphy's Warren Chase stables in Warwickshire could spark him back into life.
2
American Mike actually beat future Ryanair winner Fact To File on chase debut - but has failed to hit the same heights since
Credit: Sportsfile
2
Olly Murphy, who was former assistant to Gordon Elliott, will be tasked with bringing American Mike back to his best, after he left Elliott's Meath yard with his blessing
Credit: PA
American Mike, who is owned by Noel and Valerie Moran's Bective Stud, has some amazing back form but hasn't quite hit the heights expected.
He beat subsequent Ryanair winner Fact To File by more than three lengths on chase debut.
And he got the better of this year's Grand National hero Nick Rockett in a 3m chase on heavy at Navan in February 2024.
But the eight-year-old son of Mahler hasn't won since - finishing in the places only once from seven further runs.
Elliott thinks the time is right to send him to Bet365 Gold Cup-winning trainer Murphy, his former assistant, to work his magic.
Murphy has been busy in the horse transfer market this summer.
He has acquired Cormac Farrell's recent Galway Listed hurdle winner Sticktotheplan.
And former Nicky Henderson inmate Kingston Pride has arrived too after being sold for £285,000.
Both of those come loaded with potential, while the goal with American Mike is to bring him back to his former glory.
Murphy told Racing TV's Josh Stacey: "He's been a horse who hasn't quite reached the expectations as a novice it looked like he might.
"I am just starting to get to know him.
"Gordon filled me in about him and it was actually Gordon who said the change of scenery would do him good.
"I'm very lucky to have a horse like him and hopefully he can be competitive in some handicap chases.
"We're working as a team. Owners Noel and Valerie Moran who sponsor Gordon's yard are also good supporters of me.
"Hopefully just a change of scenery will spark a small bit of a revival.
"Albeit he has some good form from last season so it's not like he's completely gone off the face of the earth.
"We're not just trying to find something that was there three years ago, he has got recent form as well."
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