Olly Murphy is preparing another strong team for the DragonBet Welsh Racing Festival at Chepstow, with last year’s Silver Trophy hero Rambo T set to return in search of back-to-back victories.
Murphy enjoyed a memorable Festival 12 months ago, landing two of the meeting’s biggest prizes as Rambo T captured the Wasdell Group Silver Trophy and Sticktotheplan took the Grade 2 DragonBet Persian War Novices’ Hurdle.
The trainer is hoping for more success when the three-day Festival returns to Chepstow from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October. Unusually dry conditions mean this year’s meeting will feature hurdle races only.
Rambo T is once again being aimed at the Wasdell Group Silver Trophy and Murphy reports the nine-year-old to be in good shape ahead of his return to Chepstow.
“Rambo T has trained well since his summer holidays and he has been aimed at this race for a while,” he said.
“He is back down to a winnable handicap mark and he loves the hustle and bustle of a big handicap.
“He won the race last year and, while it will be difficult to repeat that success, he has been trained for the race and we’re looking forward to running him.”
Another exciting prospect among Murphy’s potential Festival team is Daylatedollarshort, who rounded off last season by finishing a close second in a valuable handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.
Murphy believes there could be plenty more to come from the lightly-raced six-year-old.
“Daylatedollarshort was unlucky not to win a £120,000 handicap at the Punchestown Festival in May,” he said.
“He is a horse I feel has done well for a holiday. He’s a young and very unexposed horse, so if we get a drop of rain I think he’s still at the right end of the handicap to run well in a race like this.
“He’s one I’m really looking forward to running.”
King’s Scholar is another who could feature at the Festival following a productive spring and summer.
“King’s Scholar has had a productive spring and summer campaign,” Murphy said. “He’s a horse who is very unexposed. We could look at a novice or a handicap with him and, fingers crossed, he’s a horse who will improve for a strongly-run race. He’s done nothing wrong thus far and hopefully there’s more to come.”
Murphy could also be represented by Trouville, who the trainer hopes remains ahead of his current handicap mark.
“Trouville is an unexposed horse,” he said. “He won his maiden hurdle and has been placed in a couple of outings since.
“He ran well on his handicap debut last time and is another unexposed type who is hopefully a step ahead of the handicapper.”
Road To Wembley, meanwhile, could be handed the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Sticktotheplan in the Grade 2 DragonBet Persian War Novices’ Hurdle on the opening day of the Festival.
The former Flat performer has impressed Murphy with his transition to jumping.
“Road To Wembley has transformed his career from the Flat to hurdles,” he said.
“He’s been a big improver and has really taken to jumping well. He is a horse we may look at the Persian War with.
“He stays and jumps well and is hopefully on an upward curve.”
This year’s DragonBet Welsh Racing Festival forms part of a landmark season for Chepstow, which is celebrating 100 years of racing at the course in 2026.
Murphy is a big admirer of the Monmouthshire track.
“Chepstow is a fantastic racecourse,” he said. “It is a track where there are no unlucky stories. The best horse always wins and they tend to do a good job with the ground.
“My horses seem to love soft ground, so we love visiting there in the middle of the winter.
“The Coral Welsh National is a fantastic race and brings back many memories. One I remember is James Bowen winning the race as a young lad and seeing Haiti Couleurs win the race last year was a great local story as well.”
The DragonBet Welsh Racing Festival takes place at Chepstow Racecourse from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October 2026. The opening Friday features the Grade 2 DragonBet Persian War Novices’ Hurdle and the £50,000 DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle, while the Wasdell Group Silver Trophy headlines Saturday’s card before the Festival concludes on Sunday.
