Murphy in gallop rumpus

After initially agreeing to allow Howard Johnson to work Inglis Drever and his other stable stars, the racecourse backed down after protests from other trainers, notably Ferdy Murphy, who cited preferential treatment.

Johnson, to his detriment, had aired his plans for a racecourse gallop during his press open day nine days ago. When other trainers were alerted that it would be at Hexham, they sought to follow suit but were turned down.

Murphy said: 'I wanted to take two up there, including Aces Four, and Hexham said we can't have all these horses.

'We want a level playing field and Howard was asking too much.'

Tom Tate, until recently chairman of the National Trainers' Federation and still the northern representative, said that northern tracks were unhelpful in comparison to some of those based in the south.

He said: 'Racecourses are guarding their own turf space these days. Many years ago they used to let us gallop our horses.

'But I think it has all got a bit personal this time with the people involved.'

Murphy suffered another setback yesterday with the news that his stable jockey, Graham Lee, who broke his jaw in a fall last month, is resigned to not being fit until Aintree at the earliest.