HIS double may not have come in the day’s most valuable races but Gordon Elliott’s brace at this interesting pre-Christmas Navan card brought with it more than a hint of stellar potential as Envoi Allen and Battleoverdoyen turned in striking displays at either end of the card.
Firstly to Envoi Allen who made it two wins from as many starts in the Listed Future Champions Flat Race, a race Elliott tends to target with some of his best young horses. The trainer has previously won this race with the likes of Don Cossack and Samcro and huge anticipation greeted the latest appearance of the Cheveley Park Stud-owned Envoi Allen following his stylish winning debut at Fairyhouse a fortnight previously.
On this occasion the 4/11 favourite afforded Pakens Rock a big lead but with imperceptible effort Jamie Codd’s mount cut down that rival to lead with over a quarter of a mile to run. The Galway bumper winner Midnight Run looked poised to mount a menacing effort but Envoi Allen just found another gear early in the last furlong to surge clear and finish with four and three-quarter lengths to spare. This was the fourth year in a row that Elliott has won this race.
LEARNING
“He’s still a baby and he’s just learning but he’s a very nice horse, Jamie couldn’t pull him afterwards. I’d say he will have one more run this season and I doubt very much that it will be at Cheltenham,” declared Elliott, whose Malone Road could make it to the Punchestown Festival as he looks to recover from an injury sustained last month.
Battleoverdoyen (8/15) brought his share of glamour to the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. This giant five-year-old looked good when he made a winning debut in a Punchestown bumper last month and his first outing over timber offered further evidence of his prowess.
The Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding displayed notable agility for such a big horse and he settled the outcome in just a couple of strides early in the straight. He flew the third last for Jack Kennedy and then bounded clear to hand out a 13-length beating to Momus.
“He’s improved a lot from his bumper and he’ll improve again for this first experience over hurdles,” declared Elliott. “A step up in trip will suit him and he’ll head for the Lawlor’s Novice Hurdle at Naas next month.”
That Lawlor’s Hotel Novice Hurdle is among the options for Easy Game as he continued the Willie Mullins domination of the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle, a race the trainer has six times in the last eight years. On Sunday, the Wicklow Bloodstock-owned winner, whose season began with a maiden success at Killarney in July, produced his best effort yet to account for a decent field.
After a course and distance Grade 2 win here last month, the Ruby Walsh-ridden Easy Game faced an unenviable task in trying to pick his way through a tightly packed field turning for home. Indeed the winner had to go through on the inner of Magnium after three out and he did so in deft fashion, making it back on the track proper to thread his way into contention with two to jump.
It wasn’t long before the 4/1 shot found himself vying for the lead and he kept on strongly from the last to defeat stablemate Getareason by two lengths, with the favourite Defi Bleu back in third.
“He was very brave there and he’s won four of six for us so he’s had a very good season for four-year-old,” declared Mullins. “He’s in the Cheltenham picture now. He would have a different profile to the horses that usually come here for us. Generally they would go to the Lawlor’s Novice Hurdle at Naas as this would only have been their second run but we’ll just consider our options with this horse.”
PROGRESSIVE
The progressive Salty Boy showed that he could be worth his place in a quality novice hurdle before too long as he continued his steady rise up the ranks with victory in the valuable Tara Handicap Hurdle. After winning a Clonmel maiden on his fourth outing last month, the Margaret Mullins-trained five-year-old ran an excellent race in his first handicap to take third in the valuable Proudstown Handicap Hurdle at this track several weeks ago.
The Stowaway gelding had to contend with a drop back to two and a half miles for this €50,000 contest but the shorter trip was no obstacle. His showing in Navan’s two most valuable handicap hurdles of the year shows that the comparatively inexperienced gelding has a future at a higher level.
Danny Mullins was on board the 11/2 chance who held firm after the last to contain the light-weight Golden Jewel by half.
“He’s improving every day and he’s such a genuine horse. Danny gave him a lovely ride there,” said Margaret Mullins who trains the five-year-old for George Williams. “Christmas might just come a little soon but we’ll just see how he comes out of this first. I’d say we might stick to handicaps for his next run.”
FRESH
Almost two years after his last outing, Cap York (7/1) turned out fresh and well to land the near three-mile John Lynch Carpets Maiden Hurdle. This Gigginstown House-owned gelding was being hard driven by Davy Russell before the straight but he showed stamina was his forte by launching a sustained effort that enabled him to get the better of Captain Cj by one and a three-quarter lengths.
“He’s been off with leg trouble and it’s hard to know what to make of him as he just stays and stays,” reflected Noel Meade. “He didn’t jump well there but he just kept galloping. I’d say softer ground would be no problem to him.”
Noel Meade promptly followed up in the rated novice chase over two and a half miles where He’s No Molly (3/1) made it three wins in succession. The Patricia Hunt-owned son of Beneficial won both his outings over hurdles in the autumn and made a seamless transition to the larger obstacles under Sean Flanagan.
He’s No Molly led the field out of the backstraight and from two out he always seemed to be containing Sir Carno who went down by one and three-quarter lengths.
“He’s a bit one-paced but he jumps very well and I felt he’d done as much as he was going to do over hurdles so that’s why we sent him chasing. He’ll certainly be a better horse going three miles,” declared Meade.
Danny Mullins added to his victory in the day’s feature by taking the Navanadventuresports.ie Handicap Chase on the T.J. Nagle-trained Danse Away (8/1). The Ailish Glynn-owned six-year-old produced an enthusiastic display on just his second outing over fences, and after racing in the front rank throughout, he found plenty under pressure from the second last to repel the top-weight, Bitsandpieces, by a head.
“He’s a lairy type of horse and likes being ridden aggressively,” reflected the trainer.
Acting Stewards
R. Dore, R. Macauley, P. Law, W. Flood, M.F. O’Donoghue
HORSE TO FOLLOW
MONOTYPE (P. Nolan): He has run respectably on his four chase outings to date, the latest when third to He’s No Molly in the rated novice chase. A handicap chase could be within his reach.