Murphy hoping his dream will come true with Maktu

Two years ago, Pat Murphy watched a promising handicap hurdler run at Chepstow and hatched a plan he hopes will come to fruition next Monday.

Maktu had not jumped a fence at the time the Hungerford trainer turned to the horse's owners and told them: "We'll be standing here two years from now. He'll be a Welsh National horse."

Now only the weather stands in the way of the eight-year-old's bid to emulate Supreme Glory, who gave the Hungerford stable their biggest success when he landed the extended 3m 5f marathon nine years ago.

"He's very much the same type of horse as Supreme Glory," said Murphy. "He's a bit speedier in his Flat work and although he has never run beyond three-and-a-half miles, he won well over that trip at Hereford in desperate ground last season. He's the right type of horse for the race."

Maktu won two staying chases to end last season and had a good tune-up when a narrow second to King Fontaine at Haydock over 3m last month.

Though he needs five horses to be balloted out in order to run at the track where he has won twice, Murphy is confident Sky Bet's 12-1 second favourite will run.

He said: "He should carry 10st 3lb and I'd be delighted with that. I've always had the Welsh National on my mind for him and the bulk of his work was done before the weather got too bad.

"If goes there 100 per cent, then he will take a hell of a lot of beating."