Travino digs deep at Navan
Travino just held the late renewed challenge of Nicanor to claim Grade One glory in the Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle at Navan.
The 4-1 shot, trained by Margaret Mullins, made most of the running in the hands of John Cullen and gamely came out on top by a neck.
Travino was 12 lengths clear of his rivals at one stage but looked certain to be collared by Paul Carberry on Nicanor coming to the second-last.
However, the 5-2 market leader made a bad mistake at that obstacle and though he tried hard, he could not quite peg back the winner after that.
The first two pulled eight lengths clear of the third horse, Mossbank.
“John gave him a super ride. We were going to see what everyone else was going to do and see if anyone else was prepared to make it. I left it up to him,” Mullins told At The Races.
“I knew he’d keep going and he’s tough. Three miles in chases is going to be his game, so this is a bonus.
“For future plans such as Cheltenham we’ll have to see. He won’t run over Christmas. He may run in the New Year, but I shall give him a break.”
Carberry added: “He didn’t pick up at the second-last and it him cost him the race, but the winner is gutsy. When my fellow gets his jumping together he’ll be a fair horse.”
Cashmans cut Travino to 10-1 from 12-1 for the Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, while Coral trimmed Travino to 14-1 from 20-1 for the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle and also sliced Nicanor to 16-1 from 25-1s.
Carberry and trainer Noel Meade had enjoyed better fortune in the preceding event as Father Matt ran out a cosy winner of the Kevin McManus Bookmakers European Breeders Fund Novice Chase.
With 15-8 favourite McGruders Cross coming to grief early on in proceedings, the two-and-a-half-mile event was always likely to played out by the eventual winner and Southern Vic.
Garrett Cotter bowled along in front on the latter, but Carberry was stalking him and joined issue with two to jump.
Southern Vic tried to rally coming to the last, but the 2-1 second-favourite had a bit in hand and was pushed out to score by four and a half lengths.
Carberry went on to complete a double on Dun Doire (4-5) for Tony Martin in the Weso Electrical Handicap Chase.
And it was a red-letter day for Derby-winning rider Johnny Murtagh as he recorded a 25-1 brace, taking the opening Christmas Hurdle on 7-1 chance Maxxium for his boss Mick Halford and following up on Meade’s Fortmassini (9-4) in the Proudstown Handicap Hurdle.
