My ante-post fancies go on trial at Navan

Right, time to put the neck on the line. At Navan today, I reckon you’ll be seeing not one but two Festival winners on show.

By 5pm, I could be standing by a rubbish bin lobbing torn-up ante-post tickets in beside the auld kebabs but Death Duty and Min both excite the hell out of me.

Hands up. I thought Min was a certainty for the Supreme last term and was devastated when Altior swept past him up the hill to win.

Altior put his own Arkle marker down at Kempton this week but the vibes suggested Min finished injured in the Supreme and didn’t do himself justice.

At 8-1, I’m prepared to forgive him and go all in for the big two-miler in March. The fact Willie Mullins starts him in the same race as Douvan last year is a pointer.

That’s one. The other is Death Duty. Maybe I’m fal ling for the hype but this Gordon El l iot charge looks the business.

His success at Roscommon was outstanding and he’s got Neptune written all over him, with Blow By Blow from the same ownership destined for the Albert Bartlett.

Normally you couldn’t get Ruby Walsh to tell you tomorrow is Monday,

But during a Racing UK preview show he interjected to point out when they put the Neptune market up that they had forgotten to add the 25-1 Death Duty. That says a lot.

The Monksfield Novice Hurdle has a rich roll of honour and, if Death Duty trots up as I expect, you won’t be seeing any 25-1 around.

Delighted for Brian Hughes. Gutted that the genie is out of the bottle.

This top-class jockey has been a master up here for years. Go to any meeting north of Haydock, back him blind and you’d come back with a profit.

Hughes’ talents deserve recognition, especially after his amazing recent winning run. I just wished he could have stayed in the background.

Tingle Creek day at Sandown is an event I love. Let’s face it, any day you walk into a racecourse and get a free mince pie, you have won me over.

Not sure who is going to turn up but I’d be keen on the Gary Moore charges with rising star Ar Mad and old dog Sire De Grugy both in with a shout.