IT MAY BE ONE ELL OF A DAY! Trainer Gordon could make plenty of hay at Navan
TOP PROSPECT HAS DUN THE BUSINESS
IRISH RACING
At a track where he tends to excel, Elliott could have up to four winners and he will be hoping to carry off the featured Tara Handicap Hurdle for the third year in succession.
This year Elliott fields five runners for the €50,000 contest and it is easy enough to discount several of them.
However, a case can be made for Stooshie who hasn’t won as many races as he should have.
This gelding started his season with a couple of encouraging runs in defeat, but he has found the going tougher on his last two outings.
The step up to two and a half miles will suit him well though and he actually showed up well in a high-class handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse two weeks ago. He was beaten less than 10 lengths by Wonder Laish that day and, given that he will improve over this longer trip, he can go close.
Elliott unveils a potentially classy novice in the opening maiden hurdle, where Battleoverdoyen takes his chance.
This gelding looked very good when he won his point-to-point, but he missed last season and only got to the track at Punchestown a couple of weeks ago.
The wait proved to be worthwhile as he produced a very nice effort to register a commanding victory in what looked a useful bumper.
Provided the Doyen gelding takes to jumping he should be able to make it two wins from as many starts.
Another fascinating Elliott runner is Envoi Allen, who bids to make it two wins from as many starts in the Listed bumper. THE classy Dunvegan produced a performance that bodes well for his prospects in good company as he bolted up in a useful looking maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse yesterday.
The Pat Fahy-trained grey won two bumpers last season but looks as though he will be even better as a jumper.
Dunvegan made the running for Paul Townend and turned in an excellent round of jumping.
He already had the race in safe keeping when the chasing
The former point-to-pointer was all the rage for his debut at Fairyhouse a couple of weeks ago and he turned in a smart display to win well.
He looks a potentially high-class sort and even though his future lies over jumps he should be able to notch up another bumper triumph.
Perhaps the most interesting race of the day is the Grade 2 novice hurdle, where the Joseph O’brien-trained Rhinestone is the choice.
He was a high-class bumper horse last season and a recent debut success over hurdles would indicate that he should be just as good over timber.
In an open race, a case could be made for a number of his rivals with last month’s course and distance Grade 2 winner Easy Game appealing as a likely threat.
In the rated novice, chaser Stowaway Forever makes plenty of appeal following his showing in a decent handicap chase at Fairyhouse last month. School Boy Hours exited at the last.
This left the Grade 1-bound 3/1 chance to finish seven and a half lengths clear of Swordsman.
“He did nothing wrong last year. He was good there and he will improve from this,” remarked Fahy.
Gordon Elliott made it 100 winners for the season in Ireland as Campeador bolted up in the two mile beginners chase.
The 5/4 favourite had fallen in four of his previous six runs but this time he produced an excellent round of jumping for Keith Donoghue.
Campeador cruised up to join stablemate Roaring Bull in the straight and he brushed aside that rival to win easily.
Elsewhere Farid was a costly failure in the juvenile hurdle where the 3/10 favourite could
manage only third behind the 25/1 chance Havingagoodtime.