GET READY TO ROCK
Batts & Veneer get the vote in Navan
BATTS Rock might be capable of making a successful start to his hurdling career in the opening Bar One Racing App Maiden Hurdle when National Hunt action returns to Navan tomorrow.
Formerly trained in England by Michael Bell, for whom he won at Wolverhampton, and bought for 68,000 Guineas, this Fastnet Rock gelding has won two of his three starts for Gordon Elliott.
Ridden by Lisa O’neill, Batts Rock won an amateur riders event at Bellewstown in early July, beating stable-companion
Percy, and followed-up by landing the Ladies Derby, for the same rider, at the
Curragh, off a mark of 90, two weeks later.
Back after a short break, he contested the ultra-competitive Petingo Handicap at Leopardstown last Saturday and was far from disgraced in finishing tenth behind the Willie Mullins-trained Limini.
Sure to be well-prepared for his hurdling debut, Batts Rock is preferred to Henry de Bromhead’s Daybreak Boy, placed twice from four attempts over flights, and the Denis Foster-trained Pike County, bought by JP Mcmanus since winning a bumper at Ballinrobe in July.
On a tricky card, Jessica Harrington’s lightly-raced five-year-old Madison To Monroe is a hopeful choice for the Baroneracin.com
Hurdle.
Winner of his only point-to-point, at Monksgrange, this Presenting gelding, admittedly showed little in two bumper outings.
But he was sent off favourite for his hurdling debut at Tipperary in May and duly delivered, travelling well throughout before being shaken-up to beat Boston Spray readily.
That form is not earth-shattering but the performance suggested that there should be plenty more to come from Madison To Monroe.
He’s well-regarded, stays well and has a good opportunity to prove his potential here.
Gordon Elliott’s Veneer Of Charm is the highest-rated of the eight runners and must be respected, coming into the race on the back of a seventh (beaten less than eight lengths) behind subsequently disqualified stable-companion Kuiper Belt in the Liam Heal Memorial Lartigue 4-Y-0 Handicap Hurdle at Listowel last week.
A sporting nap vote goes to Hearts Are Trumps, trained locally by Dessie Mcdonogh for JP Mcmanus (inset), in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Handicap Hurdle.
I expect him to be better-suited by the demands of Navan than when fourth at Galway and, with Mark Walsh in the saddle, he looks a rock-solid each-way prospect. Sign-up Bonus