Murtagh looks for Group One glory on Belle de Crercy at Ascot

Novellist's late defection meant Johnny Murtagh was denied a shot at Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe glory last Sunday but he intends to supply himself a chance of further Group 1 glory at Ascot on Saturday week by supplementing Belle De Crecy into the Qipco Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes.

A surprise winner of last month’s Group 2 Blandford Stakes at the Curragh, Murtagh has confirmed he aims to supplement the Andrew Tinkler owned filly into the mile and a half distaff race which makes up part of the lucrative British Champions Day.

Belle De Crecy will be joined on the big day by the 2012 Irish Leger hero, Royal Diamond, in the Group 3 Long Distance Cup.

Murtagh had been considering a tilt at the Melbourne Cup with Royal Diamond but said: “If he had run better in the Irish Leger last time we would have been going to Melbourne but he just didn’t run well enough at the Curragh to encourage us to go. But the plan was always to try him at two miles this season and this race fits in nicely.”

The jockey/trainer role Murtagh has officially performed this year has been paying off in spades for the Meath man and he also intends targeting another Group 1 prize later this month with the two year old Altruistic in the Racing Post Trophy.

That is likely to mean another clash with Geoffrey Chaucer who beat him into third the Beresford Stakes recently but Murtagh said: "I felt he was a bit rusty that day. It was a while since he'd run and the form of that race was advertised with the second (Oklahoma City) winning at Newmarket at the weekend."