FERDY MURPHY'S four-pronged assault on this week's three-day Cheltenham Festival was the subject of a major boost last Thursday when a substantial downpour eased the ground from the fast side of good, to good to soft in places.

"All four of our horses need rain, the softer the ground the better," declared Ferdy, as he ran the rule over his quartet of classy challengers, Truckers Tavern, Historg, Tribal Venture, and Ballinclay King.

Murphy's weather-beaten facial features bear testimony to the relentless daily routine spent training his 100-strong string on Middleham High Moor - the romance of having a winner at Cheltenham is all well and good, but champions do not materialise in the blink of eye.

The harsh behind-the-scenes reality means the actual spadework required to produce a thoroughbred in peak condition for mid-March takes place throughout the three cruellest months of the year December, January, and February.

While most of us are cranking up the central heating to maximum temperature, or putting the blower on full blast in the car, Ferdy's horses and riders are monotonously treading the boards in a far less hospitable environment.

For sure Middleham's training grounds are a spectacular place to be in summer - warm sunshine, gentle breezes, and a view of the glorious Yorkshire Dales to truly to die for.

But in winter it's a whole different ballgame - rain-lashed mornings accompanied by bitterly cold easterly winds are much more the order of the day.

Finally, all of the hard work is complete and from the hand-picked team representing the stable, first on stage is Historg (4.00), who runs in tomorrow's extended three mile William Hill National Hunt Handicap Chase.

Arguably Ferdy's best hope, Historg has already won once at Cheltenham this season, posting a spectacular seven length success in a fiercely competitive handicap chase on New Year's Eve.

"Historg has won at the course and has since run brilliantly when fifth in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton last time out - he's a super jumper with a nice turn of foot," reported Murphy.

With the ground was too fast, the track too easy, plus he made a crucial mistake at the 15th fence when beginning to make headway from the rear, Historg's Kempton effort looks all the more meritorious in hindsight.

Just over an hour later and Tribal Venture (5.20) is next up in the Pertemps Final, a fiendishly hard handicap hurdle over three miles and half a furlong.

"It was bottomless when he won at Ascot in December and the heavier the ground the better for him," said Ferdy. Truth be told, Tribal Venture doesn't do anything in a hurry, although he is the type that stays longer than the mother-in-law. So, in a race always run at breakneck pace, he'll likely keep plugging on when others are flagging at the business end of the stamina-sapping contest.

Tribal Venture has actually been beaten three times in a row since his inaugural success at Ascot, however he's still only a five-year-old and in his trainer's own words, "is the least exposed of his runners."

Instead, take that to read "open to the most improvement and maybe worth a small each-way wager at potentially rewarding odds''.

Runner number three comes in the guise of Ballinclay King (5.10), entered in Wednesday's two-and-a-half-mile Mildmay Of Flete Handicap Chase.

If Ballinclay King were a car, he might well have a heart-shaped red window sticker with the words "I love Cheltenham" emblazoned on rhe rear window, a less than subtle reminder of his spine-tingling performance when routing some decent opponents with a breath-taking display at the course on January 1st.

"Ballinclay King's latest run at Cheltenham when he was fourth to Martin Pipe's Lady Cricket was possibly an even better effort than his win on New Year's Day," enthused Murphy,

Thursday's Gold Cup, the Blue Riband of the steeple-chasing world, is a three-mile-two-and-a-half-furlong affair reserved for only the crme de la crme of British and Irish jumping stock.

And according to the ante-post betting lists, 33-1 shot Truckers Tavern is a massive outsider to scoop the first prize worth in excess of £175,000. However if you ain't in you can't win and as Murphy explains he is very happy with his stable-star.

"It's a big ask, but Truckers Tavern is hitting Cheltenham absolutely spot-on. He finished 5th to Moscow Flyer in last year's Arkle over a trip far too short (two miles), on ground that was much too fast."

As for the riding arrangements, stable jockey Davy Russell is the man in the hot seat and Murphy's recently-recruited Irish compatriot has already made a favourable impression with his unflappable nature and cool style.

"He's a fantastic talent plus a smashing bloke," remarked Ferdy, who like the rest of us can do nothing but cross his fingers once Russell steps out onto the hallowed Prestbury Park turf aboard the four North Yorkshire raiders.

It's a tense time, none the less Ferdy's seen and done it all before.

With three previous Festival scorers already in the bag, Paddy's Return, Stop The Waller, and French Holly, he has proved he can compete at the highest level.

The trouble is, like all sports, you never stop having to prove yourself in this game.

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