Ferdy Murphy has the first of what could be many runners at Cagnes-sur-Mer in the south of France tomorrow.
His stable stalwart Paddy's Return runs in a hurdle race at the Riviera course as Murphy lays the foundations for a satellite yard there.
Paddy's Return was to be partnered by Adrian Maguire but the jockey will miss the ride as he is still suffering the effects of a fall at Uttoxeter on Sunday.
Murphy said today: "Adrian won't be riding him tomorrow. He'll run when he'll be ridden by Pascal Marion. Adrian goes over there, subject to being all right at the weekend, to ride Albrighton on Sunday.
"Then he'll ride Paddy's Return the following Wednesday in the Cagnes-sur-Mer Champion Hurdle. That's worth £20,000 to the winner so it's good money."
The Middleham trainer has a long-term plan to send horses to France to avoid the worst of the British weather and to make the most of opportunities abroad.
"We were going to take 12 horses there early last year. The plan was in motion and it was going ahead but then we had a couple of setbacks to the horses we were going to send down," Murphy explained.
"We put it on hold for a while and cut it down to two horses.
"It's something we're looking at long-term, sending horses out from the middle of December to the middle of January.
"The weather there this morning was 72 degrees. The wind was blowing here this morning and it was about 10 below so it makes a big difference to the horses."
Murphy is no stranger to running horses abroad, with the ill-fated French Holly having won the Prix la Barka at Auteuil last summer and Irish Stamp being a regular visitor to Europe.
"My daughter lives in France and we had quite a few runners there last year, French Holly won there," the trainer said.
"We campaigned Irish Stamp last year in Belgium, France, Italy and the Czech Republic and I think with transport costs and everything else we came out with about £25,000 for the owner.
"It's basically financially much more viable for a horse like that. A horse like Irish Stamp would be lucky to win five races in the UK and he picked up £25,000 out there so you don't have to be too bright to know that it's worth doing.
"We've travelled horses quite a bit before, my son Paul does all the transport and he knows the game inside out so it just seems to work for us.
"They supply the stables to us free of charge. It's a training centre so the trainers move down there from the French provinces and Chantilly.
"You've got all the facilities, schooling facilities, gallops - the whole lot are there."
Closer to hand, Murphy runs rising star Ballinclay King in the Sun 'King Of The Punters' Tolworth Hurdle on Saturday.
"He worked this morning and we're absolutely over the moon with him," Murphy added.
"It will be interesting to see how it goes. It's going to give us an insight as to where we are with him and what standard we can aim at.
"He's done everything we've asked him to do but he'll find it more difficult on Saturday." - PA
