Navan and Dundalk tips: Leave it to Lil in opener
Yukon Lil looks the part in the opening novice chase at Navan. Picture: Healy Racing
Navan hosts a fine card this afternoon and Willie Mullins and Paul Townend can get off to the perfect start by taking the Navanracecourse.ie Rated Novice Chase with Yukon Lil.
It is interesting connections have seen fit to run her against the males after her chase debut success against her own sex in a mares’ beginners’ chase in Cork. That effort suggested she would be much better as a chaser than she was in bumpers and over hurdles and today’s race provides a nice next step up the ladder.
The most interesting of her rivals is Fils D’oudairies, who was still in contention when falling at the second-last in a beginners’ chase won by Colreevy. Where she might have finished is hard to ascertain but it was a promising first effort for new connections and the market will be interesting.
The Grade 2 BetVictor Make Your Best Bet Novice Hurdle is the feature and Mullins and Townend can combine for further success with Fighter Allen.
He made his debut for the stable in a Punchestown maiden hurdle and, despite appearing to blow up in the closing stages, was good enough to hold off the late run of the useful Lifetime Ambition.
The bare form is nothing special, but he was quite fresh through that race and seems sure to be much better today. He looks a fine prospect and is just preferred to Holymacapony. The latter made a winning start on the track when staying on strongly to beat Gaillard Du Mesnil by eight lengths and he can prove to be the biggest danger to the selection.
Bob Olinger is likely to be a short price to take the Mervyn Gray Construction Maiden Hurdle. Henry de Bromhead’s runner made his hurdling debut at Gowran Park and found only Champion Bumper winner Ferny Hollow too good. A distance clear of the remainder, he remains a serious prospect and should have little trouble accounting for today’s rivals.
Navan saves the best for last, with a superb renewal of the listed BetVictor Flash Cashback Future Champions Bumper to wrap up proceedings. Sir Gerhard is the one to beat, having followed up his point-to-point success with a runaway win in a Down Royal bumper from which the second and third have since won maiden hurdles. He was in a league of his own that day and looks another special talent for Gordon Elliott and Cheveley Park Stud.
However, this is no cakewalk as there is real depth to this race. Letsbeclearaboutit has won both bumper outings to date with consummate ease and, for now, could be anything, while the bumper which Ever Present won at Punchestown in late October has produced two subsequent maiden hurdle winners. Add in Anglers Crag, who has a similar profile to Sir Gerhard, and you have all the ingredients for a cracking contest.
In Dundalk, Harpocrates can carry top weight to victory in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Leading Jockey & Trainer Handicap. On his second start for Jessica Harrington, he ran a superb race to finish second, beaten just half a length behind Saltonstall. He was a little unlucky on that occasion, suffering traffic problems in the straight, but stayed on nicely. Dropping back to seven furlongs isn’t a concern for the useful sort and he can gain an overdue second career victory.
11:30 Yukon Lil (nap)
12:00 Krisquin
12:30 Flanking Maneuver
1:00 Bob Olinger
1:35 Fighter Allen (nb)
2:10 Snugsborough Hall
2:45 Dessie Deschamps
3:20 Sir Gerhard
11:30 Fils D’oudairies
12:00 King’s War
12:30 Percy Warner
1:00 Inviction
1:35 Holymacapony
2:10 Good Man Jim
2:45 Golden Sunset
3:20 Letsbeclearaboutit
4:00 Charmed
4:30 Linda Barrett
5:00 Prisoner’s Dilemma
5:30 Mr Ormsby
6:00 Harpocrates
6:30 Mosala
7:00 Blackpoint
7:30 Chateau Musar
4:00 Giselles Thunder
4:30 Devil’s Outlaw
5:00 Never Back Down
5:30 Linus Larrabee
6:00 Rebel Tale
6:30 Wonder Elzaam
7:00 Harriet’s Force
7:30 Sleepy Head
