Catch Me looks the class act here

NAVAN PREVIEW: CATCH ME might end up being an “in-between” horse when it comes to the Champion Hurdle or the World Hurdle but…

NAVAN PREVIEW:CATCH ME might end up being an "in-between" horse when it comes to the Champion Hurdle or the World Hurdle but today's Navan feature looks a good winning opportunity for him.

Edward O’Grady’s star is one of six lining up for the Ladbrokes Boyne Hurdle, the centrepiece of a triple Grade Two card that has been postponed 24 hours to facilitate yesterday’s rescheduled Hennessy fixture.

The result is an unusual touch of quality for a normal Monday and in terms of class Catch Me looks the obvious headline act.

He is rated half a stone better than his main rival Aitmatov today and crucially the two-mile-five-furlong trip shouldn’t be a problem.

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Quoted in ante-post betting for both the Champion and the World at next month’s festival, a Hatton’s Grace triumph in November only seemed to firm up the view that two and a half miles is his ideal trip. Today’s race could sway O’Grady in a number of directions in terms of Cheltenham but it could yet be that he eventually ends up in April’s Aintree Hurdle.

A good performance by Majestic Concorde in the Flyingbolt Chase could result in Dermot Weld starting to formulate some Cheltenham plans of his own.

The festival didn’t appear to be uppermost on Weld’s mind after Majestic Concorde’s winning debut over fences at Leopardstown but significantly he hasn’t hesitated to up the Galway GPT winner to this class despite the likely testing conditions.

Siegemaster finished well behind Casey Jones and Trafford Lad in a Grade one at Leopardstown over Christmas but a combination of soft ground and three miles could see Dessie Hughes’s horse go close in the Ten Up Chase.

Fistoulig was the subject of plenty of support at Leopardstown when third to Mission Possible and can recoup those losses in the opening handicap hurdle.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column