Ballycoose

(Stuart Crawford)

Navan, November 18th

Considering he had been off the track for 581 days prior to this, it was a really pleasing comeback run from the Stuart Crawford-trained Ballycoose when just tiring late on into fourth in a competitive-looking two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle at the Navan Racing Festival. The finish was fought out by a couple of well-handicapped novices in the shape of Harvard Guy and Ask Anything, and there’s every chance a mark of 112 still underestimates Ballycoose too. He didn’t go unbacked before this return, travelled like a big player and is fully entitled to be much sharper next time. He’s lightly raced and ought to have more to come in handicaps this season. (MB)

Music Of Tara

(Henry de Bromhead)

Navan, November 18th

Music Of Tara made a pleasing return to action in the two-mile handicap hurdle won by Fortunedeforunata at Navan on Saturday. Henry de Bromhead’s mare travelled into the race just before the second last, but possibly a combination of racing over an inadequate two-mile trip and the fact she was having her first run in 232 days, she failed to pick up as strongly as the front two. Nonetheless it was pleasing that she fended off One Last Tango to finish third and she has scope now to improve from this effort, from a fitness perspective and by going back up in trip. (RG)

My Trump Card

(Gordon Elliott)

Navan, November 18th

There was plenty of chat on track about several of the runners in the concluding bumper on day one of the Navan Racing Festival, a race won by the Gavin Cromwell-trained Springt De La Mare - described by connections in the post-race exchanges as potentially “a really special horse”. Runner-up My Trump Card is clearly well thought of too in the Gordon Elliott camp and he ran a cracker on his return from a year off when staying on grittily to get within a head of the winner, while also finishing ahead of the apparently highly regarded Apple’s Of Bresil. This race probably wasn’t run to suit My Trump Card and he got into top gear a little later than ideal. His finishing effort was impressive and he’s bound to be a capable novice over hurdles. Long term, he could work his way into becoming a candidate for something like the Albert Bartlett next spring. (MB)

Dunboyne

(Gordon Elliott)

Navan, November 19th

Of the 20-strong Troytown field, only three horses in the 11 that completed the course were making their seasonal debut and Dunboyne fared best of them. He was right up there challenging until after the second last (his rider Jordan Gainford reported to the trainer that he took a blow at this stage) and he still kept on well to take fourth, especially admirable after a slow jump at the last. Heavy ground suits him well - two of his three wins have come on that surface and his best ever run was when he was narrowly defeated by Carefully Selected in last year’s Thyestes, again on heavy ground. He’s only 5lb higher than the mark he raced off in that race and would make plenty of appeal if the ground came up heavy again at Gowran. (RG)

New Barn Lane

(Eoin McCarthy)

Limerick, November 21st

It could be worth keeping an eye out for the Eoin McCarthy-trained New Barn Lane over the coming months, potentially at Limerick over Christmas, after taking a step in the right direction on his second handicap start at Greenmount Park on Tuesday. There appeared to be market confidence behind the lightly raced six-year-old as he was fitted with a first-time tongue-tie, and he only found one too good over a two-mile trip that might be a little sharp for him. Testing ground doesn’t do him any harm, though, and he should be a big player next time with this experience under his girth. He isn’t high class but he does have the ability to win races. (MB)