JUMPS racing returned to Navan on Saturday and the seven-race card featured three big-priced winners, along with two winning favourites, one of which, De Plotting Shed in the featured At The Races Hurdle, was providing jockey Keith Donoghue with a winning spare ride for trainer Gordon Elliott.
De Plotting Shed (15/8 joint-favourite) was originally due to be ridden by Jack Kennedy, who suffered a fracture to his shin at Downpatrick the previous day and while Davy Russell was then pencilled in for the ride, he suffered an earlier fall from Crystal Pearl in an earlier handicap hurdle and was stood down.
Donoghue, who works for Elliott, was then called to ride the son of Beneficial, who, in the end, proved eight and a half lengths too strong for Moylisha Tim.
Afterwards, Elliott stated: “He was a nice hurdler last year and just flattened out a bit near the end of the season. He’s improved for a summer break and I’m not sure if he’ll go chasing just yet or we might wait.
“The owners (Ives Ashley Vasey Partnership) are from Brighton and have a couple of horses with us.”
There was one other winning favourite, well-backed 6/4 chance The Rory Story in the concluding Bective Restaurant Bumper. The Noel Meade-trained son of Flemensfirth was ridden to his two and a quarter-length win over Agent Boru by Nina Carberry.
Afterwards, Meade, winning his third bumper in a fortnight, commented: “Even though he was favourite I thought he might need the run as we have not done that much with him. He had a little problem with a hind joint last year.
“Nina thinks he’s a good horse, and he’s bred to be, as he has a good pedigree. He was green and will probably not run again for a while. He’ll go over hurdles and jumps well.”
The day began with the win of John Woods’ 40/1 chance Our Boy Boru, in the opening Troytown Bar Maiden Hurdle.
Ridden by Matthew Bowes, the son of Brian Boru had finished 11th on his reappearance run at Down Royal in August but today was prominent throughout and in the end beat 50/1 chance Alabama Rose by half a length.
Heavily backed favourite Tamlough Boy (8/11 from 7/4) finished a well-held sixth in the race.
Woods later admitted “that was a bit of a surprise. I train him for a local syndicate (Strawberry Bar Nua Syndicate) in Armagh.”
BIG PRICE
A little over an hour later, punters met another big-priced winner, when The Jazz Singer landed the Brogan Group Handicap Hurdle for trainer Colin McBratney and jockey Paul Townend.
Townend sent The Jazz Singer, who is owned by McBratney’s sister-in-law, to the front jumping the final flight and, in the end, the pair beat another 20/1 chance Varene De Vauzelle, by a length and a half.
McBratney said: “Paul gave him a great ride. I half fancied him as he’d some good runs in Perth and also ran well the last day in Down Royal. I was a bit worried about the ground but Paul said he was always travelling on it.
“He’ll be a nice horse for fences next year and we’ll keep him on the go until the real winter ground and he could go to Down Royal for the festival.”
Trainer Jim Gorman was responsible for the third big-priced winner, when his 40/1 outsider Kildunne landed the Emerald Facility Services Beginners Chase under Jody McGarvey.
The nine-year-old had a previous win in a point-to-point in 2013 but was making the breakthrough on the racecourse today, when scoring an easy nine-length win over Chitu.
Trainer Anthony McCann sent out Wilcos Mo Chara to win the Racing Again Wed 5th October Handicap Hurdle and though that gelding had been a big priced 25/1 shot earlier in the day, he was eventually returned a well-backed 8/1 chance, winning under promising claimer Conor Brassil.
The son of Oscar raced prominently throughout and eventually scored a one and three-quarter-length win over Come Dance With Me.
McCann explained: “We have been holding out for the ground all year and stepped him back in trip. I always thought he was a two and a half mile horse but it is such a stiff track here and I was glad to see the rain coming.
“While he’s well and in good form we’ll keep rolling along and I’m delighted for the owner Stuart Andrews, who is a good friend of Rita Shah.
“We have had a tough year but the horses are starting to come right, and it’s great for all the owners who have stuck by us.”
Gold Cup winning jockey Bryan Cooper combined with trainer Matthew Smith to win the Meath Farm Machinery Handicap Chase with Empresario (7/1).
The son of Hurricane Run was today winning his seventh race and afterwards Smith said: “Bryan took his time and gave him a great ride. I knew he was in good order and if the ground was better I would have fancied him big time.
“He’s a lovely horse to have and the last day at Galway (when last on the flat) probably just came a bit soon as it was only a few days after he had a hard race here.”
Acting stewards
Dr P. Molony, Judge Leonie Reynolds, Mrs T. K. Cooper, P. Caffery, P. D. Matthews.
Horse To Follow:
AGENT BORU: (T. Gibney) The point-to-point winner was making his bumper debut when second in today’s finale and should be able to win a similar race before long.