WHEN the list of riders on the card contain Jack Kennedy, Keith Donoghue, Danny Gilligan and Danny Mullins – you’d be forgiven in thinking we were in Kildare but it’s Far Hills, New Jersey, USA that sees some of the top Irish jumps’ riders in action this evening.

Gordon Elliott has five runners on the card and two in the American Grand National (8.50pm) where Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donaghue bid to follow up their famous Velka Pardubicka win last Sunday when Ballysax Hank joins Fil Dor and Zanahyir in the race.

The race has in recent years been won by Irish and British raiders in Shark Hanlon’s Hewick (2023), Brain Power (2019) for Nicky Henderson and Jury Duty (2018) for Gordon Elliott.

Ballysax Hank had Fil Dor over 10 lengths behind him in beating Seo Linn in a mile and six Gowran maiden last time. Previously, Harry Cobden had given him a fine ride to win the Unibet Summer Plate Handicap Chase at Market Rasen in July.

“I’ve always kept an eye on horses going out there and it’s a race that Gordon Elliott has targeted before and Shark Hanlon won it with Hewick a couple of years ago. We’ve kept a note of what type of horse would be suited to it and we think it could be a good race for Ballysax Hank,” Gavin Cromwell said in his William Hill blog.

Zanahyir won a flat qualified riders’ handicap at Bellewstown after a two-mile, six-furlong Galway chase success at Galway, beating the only finisher Blood Destiny, and this could be a bit sharp for him.

The home defence is led by the Keri Brion-trained six-year-old Swore, who won the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Handicap Hurdle over two and a half miles last time at Aqueduct.

Snap Decision has been to the fore in US jumping for the last number of years but at 11 years old, this might be a step too far. Ballysax Hank looks to have a perfect profile for the race and can complete a famous double for the yard.

Gordon Elliott also runs Chortal in the opening four-year-old hurdle at 5.50pm, Emily Love takes on four rivals in a two-mile-and-a-furlong mares’ hurdle with $100,000 in prize money at 7.16pm, and Coutach lines up in the $150,000 Foxbrook Champion Hurdle at 8.04pm.