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A number of highly ranked locally-trained horses are among the top contenders for the Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase on the second day of the Navan Racing Festival on Sunday.
Leading the way, and heading this morning’s 29 acceptors for the historic €100,000 event, is Gavin Cromwell’s Will The Wise which has certainly improved with each outing over fences and backed-up a fair effort when runner-up to subsequent Grade 3 winner Ol Man Dingle when making all the running to land a rated novice chase at Galway last time.
As he bids for a first Troytown success, Cromwell has also left in Galway Festival winner and Munster National third Aspurofthemoment, the Dublin National runner-up Union Station and the highest-rated of his quartet, Yeah Man which finished third in this race a year ago.
Noel Meade has left in the far less-exposed Sportinthepark, whose success in a rated novice at Galway in October 2024 was emulated by Will The Wise this year. As a warm-up for this assignment, Sportinthepark returned to Galway late last month to win a handicap hurdle.
Needless to say, it’s Gordon Elliott who holds the numerical advantage and his squad numbers 10 at this stage. Elliott is a seven-time winner of the race, all since 2014, and this time his entries look to be headed by the recent Cheltenham second Pied Piper and Better Days Ahead, a beginners' chase winner on this card last year and sixth in the Irish Grand National when last seen.
Willie Mullins has his claims too and has two to choose from, the Irish Grand National third Quai De Bourbon and High Class Hero, third at Sandown on his first start in a handicap chase back in April.
One horse with more recent form and winning form at that is the Shane Broderick-trained A Wave Of The Sea, with Liz Doyle’s Ballybawn Belter another notable entry.
Novice hurdle entries
Earlier on Sunday’s card, the Grade 3 John Lynch Carpets & Flooring Monksfield Novice Hurdle has attracted 10 entries with Willie Mullins’ Eclipse Chaser, the Gordon Elliott-trained Kalypso'chance and Declan Queally’s hat-trick seeker I’ll Sort That among them. The later Race And Stay Irish EBF Beginners Chase has 22 entries with Mullins’ Final Demand and the Elliott-trained Brighterdaysahead in the field.
Meanwhile, at Navan on Saturday, included among the nine entries for the Grade 2 Bar One Racing Fortria Chase are the Barry Connell-trained Marine Nationale, Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness and Willie Mullins’ Dinoblue while the Gordon Elliott-trained Casheldale Lad, The Yellow Clay and Maxxum top eight horses in the Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle.
Also on Saturday’s eight-race card, the Grade 3 Bar One Racing For Auction Novice Hurdle features Declan Queally’s I’ll Sort That and Henry de Bromhead’s Ace Brannigan with the Pat Sheils Memorial Irish EBF Beginners’ Chase shaping up to be a cracker with the Willie Mullins-trained Kopek Des Bordes and the Edward and Partick Harty-trained Harvard Guy among the 17 entries. Gordon Elliott has also given himself the option of running Brighterdaysahead.
Barney O’Hare, CEO of Bar One Racing, said: “The entries feature a nice balance of proven handicappers, but also includes some lesser exposed possibly well-handicapped horses. The Bar One Racing Fortria Chase is extremely exciting with the likes of Cheltenham Champion Chase winner Marine Nationale amongst entries.”
Click here for the entries for Navan on Saturday
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