Trainer Olly Murphy is planning for another big season for chasing star Itchy Feet and looks on sending him to either Haydock Or Cheltenham ahead of the festival in March.
Itchy Feet has been one of the yards best horses over the last few years having landed the yards first ever Grade One winner last term when taking the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown.
As a hurdler, the six year old gave a career best performance at the 2019 Cheltenham festival when finishing third behind the Willie Mullins trained Klassical Dream and stablemate Thomas Darby.
He was stepped up to fences last term and made a superb start to life over the bigger obstacles when taking his two events including that black type event at Sandown.
One to watch at Aintree tomorrow...
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) October 24, 2020
ITCHY FEET poorly jumped throughout when unseating his rider as a 7/2 fav in the Marsh Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last term, but granted a clear round should be thereabouts in the 13:57 📝
🎬 @RacingTV pic.twitter.com/Lu4MdMhVQJ
He then headed into the Marsh Novices' Chase at this year's Cheltenham festival and although being one of the market leaders could only unseat Gavin Sheehan early on in the contest.
He made his debut this season in the Grade Two Old Roan Chase at Aintree last month and off the back of his decent third, Murphy believes he can kick on and claim more Grade One glory this campaign.
(Credit ATR) “He’s come out of Aintree absolutely fine. There’s a graduation chase on Betfair Chase day at Haydock (November 21), or we might look at the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham (December 12), so we’ve got a couple of options,” he said.
“He’s in good nick and ran a good race the other day. He just lacked a little bit of experience and had a good blow from the back of the last – like all of mine, he’ll come on for the run.”
It now looks as though Cheltenham's November meeting or the Betfair Chase meeting at Haydock could be the next time we see the six year old.