Murphy aims at Champion with Big Zeb

Though it is common enough, in jump racing, for a small stable to be exalted by one exceptional horse, only rarely does a trainer impose his own talent on the evanescence of the moment. But that is just what seems to have happened with Colm Murphy, who came up with a champion more or less overnight in Brave Inca, and has since thoroughly consolidated his claims as one of the best young trainers in Ireland.

Brave Inca has reached the evening of his own career, but the baton has now been smoothly transferred to a horse three years his junior in Big Zeb. Though his remains an unfamiliar name to British punters for now, all that could change at the Cheltenham Festival in March. For his comeback success at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting identified Big Zeb as the first Irish steeplechaser in two years to convert the promise of his novice season to legitimate championship competence.

It was only his fifth completed start over fences, and his first since April. But while he ultimately won by only half a length from an exposed rival, in Watson Lake, he permitted no doubt that he was infinitely the best in the field, tanking along early and taking it up easily between the last two. To tire late on, as he did, was perfectly defensible and his energetic jumping suggested him to be one of the few feasible rivals to Master Minded in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Though he has won over longer trips, he has now won two Grade One prizes in two starts since being dropped back to two miles.

"He's a different horse from last season," Murphy said yesterday. "Being such a big horse, he has always had niggly little hold-ups. Touch wood, he looks more the finished article now. We bought him as a three-year-old, and he always looked a horse that would come into his own over fences, and luckily he has patient owners. He has been unlucky along the way, too – he met Captain Cee Bee in a bumper, and the only horses to beat him over hurdles were Sizing Europe and Catch Me.

"It was a big ask to go for a Grade One without a run under his belt, so we were over the moon to see him win the way he did. He could only improve for the run, the way ours all do, and has been A1 since."

The fact that he has so few miles on the clock might entitle Big Zeb to further improvement, but it also leaves him potentially vulnerable in terms of experience. "It's always a worry at this level," Murphy acknowledged. "But I was delighted with his jumping the last day, and he hope to give him another two races before Cheltenham – maybe including the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown early next month."

Meanwhile the Co Wexford stable's next cycle of talent is already emerging. Murphy thinks a lot of Voler La Vedette, who won her maiden hurdle at the same meeting, while he also has one of the very best bumper performers of last season in his care in Zaarito.

He lost his unbeaten record only in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, when third to Cousin Vinny, and failed only in a photo on his hurdling debut at Navan last month. "He would have won in another half-stride, and I was delighted with his jumping," Murphy said. "Probably I'd been a bit easier on him than I should have been, because he is not the sort to carry much condition and I thought he was readier than he was." The progress he has made since should become apparent at Punchestown on Saturday. These emerging stars have a perfect template in the yard's elder statesman, Brave Inca, who has returned from an 18-month absence this season with undiminished gusto. Third to Sublimity on the final day at Leopardstown, he will go back there later this month for the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle.

"And if there is more of a dig then, hopefully that will slow the others down a bit," Murphy said. "He's 10 come 11 now, not six come seven. But his work is still very good and he seems to have all that enthusiasm still. We were lucky to get him, so to have another one like him now is something else."

Even the all-weather card at Wolverhampton succumbed to the freeze yesterday, along with today's meeting at Leicester, while officials inspect Sedgefield at 8am. Tomorrow's jumping is already in doubt, with the stewards examining conditions at both Musselburgh (9.0am) and Fontwell (8.0am) this morning.