Amy Murphy eager to tackle Cheltenham date with Mercian Prince

Amy Murphy is keen to allow Mercian Prince to take the next step up the chasing ladder on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham.After providing the Newmarket handler with a winner from her first runner at Sandown on Saturday, the six-year-old could help her break further new ground by becoming her first starter at Prestbury Park in contesting the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase later this month. Murphy said: "He is a nice horse. He bounced out of the race, he was bucking and kicking so I don't think it has taken too much out of him."She went on: "Jack Quinlan gave him a lovely ride and he probably only had a race from the back of the second-last."Going forward we will get through the next two weeks and my first inclination is to go for the novice handicap chase on Trials Day at Cheltenham. That is where I would like to go, all being well."We are taking it one step at a time and he is a progressive handicapper as we speak, but he has done nothing wrong at the moment."