Supreme Glory ended a traumatic year for trainer Pat Murphy on a high note with victory in the Coral Eurobet Welsh National at Chepstow yesterday.
Over the past 12 months Murphy has endured the death of his daughter, Melissa, followed by the break-up of his marriage to long-time wife Louise and a move of yard to premises near Lambourn.
Add to that the trainer's former stable star Shooting Light being transferred to Martin Pipe and scoring three consecutive victories and Murphy's woe was complete.
But yesterday afternoon the smile was back on the trainer's face after Supreme Glory and Leighton Aspell found what was required to hold off the persistent challenge of last year's winner Jocks Cross by two lengths in the three and three-quarter mile marathon.
Murphy said of Supreme Glory: "He was the winner there a long way out for me as he always was jumping well and travelling nicely up with the pace. This race has been the plan since he was third in the Scottish National since last April.
"I knew this horse was spot on today and I said to Leighton when I legged him up that I'd never had him better. He will have one more run somewhere now and then he will go to Aintree for the Martell Grand National.
"Leighton gave the horse a very positive ride and I just think he's an under-rated jockey as he rides so many poor horses that can't win but he never lets you down on the big day and luckily this horse didn't either."
When asked about the departure of Shooting Light to win three races on the bounce for Martin Pipe, Murphy said with more than a hint of emotion in his eyes: "After he won the Tripleprint Gold Cup at Cheltenham somebody phoned me and said it must be painful to lose a horse like that.
"And I replied that the previous day I had sat by the grave of my 15-year-old daughter Melissa, who was killed in a road accident last February, and that's painful, not watching a horse winning a race."
Jockey Timmy Murphy is firmly on course for his best ever season following a 132 to 1 treble aboard Jeannot De Beauchene, Extra Jack and Silence Reigns.
The Irishman hosted a career best score of 73 winners in the 1998-99 season but is already on the 71-winner mark this term after being reunited with trainer Paul Nicholls.
And Nicholls was responsible for sending out Extra Jack to land the Ray Horton Memorial Handicap Chase and Silence Reigns who returned to winning ways in the Galaxy 101 Novices' Chase.
But the Shepton Mallet trainer admitted all has not been right with his horses in recent weeks following a number putting up lacklustre efforts. Nicholls said: "It's nice to have a couple of winners but some of the horses have been disappointing of late and we've had a few coughing but every trainer has a flat spell and it's nothing to get too alarmed about."
