Nickname poised to return at Navan

MARTIN BRASSIL is hoping Navan’s meeting on Saturday can beat the weather so that late Queen Mother Champion Chase defector Nickname can take his chance in the Russell Restaurant An Uaimh Chase.

The eight-year-old finished second to Noel Meade’s Watson Lake, who is also a possible, in the Grade Three race 12 months ago. Brassil was disappointed his mudlark could not take his chance at Cheltenham due to the drying ground but there is no chance of that scuppering his plans this weekend.

“The only thing that would stop him running is if the meeting was called off,” he said. “But there’s a very bad weather forecast for the rest of the week.