Murphy has sights on £250,000 bonus

Ferdy Murphy hopes the "big race we'll nail some day" with stable star Paddy's Return could reap a massive pay-day next April after Aintree today announced a new £250,000 bonus for winning both its 2001 Martell Grand National and this Saturday's Tote Becher Chase.

The Yorkshire trainer has both targets - the latter over a short course of the formidable National fences - in mind for Paddy's Return this season after last term's Whitbread Gold Cup gamble, hindered by unsuitably soft ground, ended with a commendable third place behind runaway winner Beau.

"He'd have had a knockout chance of winning the Whitbread had the ground been on the fast side," said Murphy. "There's a big race we'll nail some day with him over fences. The Grand National is now the ultimate aim of his career - whether it's this year or next depends on how he takes to the fences this Saturday."

Paddy's Return won the 1996 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival as a four-year-old and twice raced in France last season, landing a touch at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in January. Now eight, the gelding may again pursue a part-continental agenda this term but Murphy believes his future lies over National or cross-country type fences.

"He'd be good enough for Cheltenham's cross-country chase in January and I think he'll make into one of those horses. He was a novice chaser last season, but he's been running under National Hunt rules since he was three, so the experience is there if we choose to go for the 2001 National," said Murphy.

"If he won the Becher Chase - and he's bouncing after working today - the bonus would concentrate our minds on the National. If the ground were to be fast at Aintree next April, he'll be there."