Weekend Tips: Testing ground and demanding track to bring out best in Fury Road
Trainer Gordon Elliott looks set to among the winners at Navan. Picture: Getty Images
With today’s card called off, Sunday’s programme in Navan is the only meeting of the weekend in Ireland and Fury Road can take the featured Grade 2 Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle.
Gordon Elliott’s horse was disappointing last time, when a well-beaten fourth in the Christmas Hurdle, but many of the stable’s runners seemed to be under a cloud at that point, and it was also not the first time the horse disappointed at Leopardstown.
He has run over hurdles seven times to date and if you set aside his two defeats at Leopardstown, he has four wins and a close third behind Monkfish in last season’s Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Suited by the demanding nature of tomorrow’s track, he ran out an easy winner of a Grade 3 on his only previous visit here. The testing ground also suits the lightly-raced seven-year-old and he can successfully concede weight to his rivals, of which French Dynamite is feared most.
It should be a good day for Elliott, as he has strong claims in the bumper with Ginto. Winner of a point to point, he was runner-up on his track debut, when unable to match Whatdeawant in the closing stages. The €470,000 purchase can be expected to improve for his initial experience and will take beating.
Now Where Or When has finished third on all three starts to date, including behind the selection’s stablemate, Three Stripe Life, on his only outing in a bumper.
Elliott’s Coqolino has a gilt-edged opportunity to get off the mark in the Navan Members Maiden Hurdle. A point-to-point winner in 2019, he was no match for Bob Olinger on his only start in a bumper, and finished runner-up to Lieutenant Colonel on his first outing in a maiden hurdle. He was beaten when falling last time but has been found a great opportunity to right that wrong.
The opening race, the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Watch Racing Online For Free Ten Up Novice Chase, sees a fascinating renewal of rivalry between Espanito Bello and Coko Beach. The former finished 18 lengths clear of the latter when they were first and second in a beginners’ chase almost ten weeks ago, but the latter, trained by Gordon Elliott, has since improved markedly. He won the Thyestes on his recent handicap debut and first try at this three-mile trip, and if that hasn’t left a mark, he can reverse Naas form with Espanito Bello.
1:05 Coko Beach
1:40 Fag An Bealach
2:15 Atlantic Fairy
2:47 Fury Road (nap)
3:25 Minella Escape
4:00 Coqolino
4:35 Doldido
5:10 Ginto (nb)
1:05 Espanito Bello
1:40 Lean Araig
2:15 Global Equity
2:47 French Dynamite
3:25 Ragnar Lodbrok
4:00 Lucky Tenner
4:35 Mister Bells
5:10 Now Where Or When
