IT’S Wednesday afternoon and it’s a good time to be speaking to Olly Murphy. British National Hunt racing is back, his horses are in good form and his beloved Aston Villa somehow look like they could retain their Premier League status, having beaten Arsenal 1-0 the previous night.

Villa were 1/14 to go down last week but if they equal or better Watford’s result tomorrow, and Bournemouth don’t win at Everton, they’ll pull off a mini great escape. That will be huge for the Birmingham club whose first season back in the big time has been a struggle and a sharp contrast to the beginning of Murphy’s training career.