Optimism high that Navan can have Saturday’s National Hunt stage to itself

Arctic weather conditions haven’t relented in time to save jump action in Britain on Saturday so Navan has the National Hunt stage to itself should it pass a 7.30 morning inspection.

Sunday’s domestic feature will be a particularly interesting Grade Two at Thurles featuring Allaho, while later that afternoon Lingfield is due to host a lucrative chase featuring the Gold Cup contender L’Homme Presse’s return to action.

That depends on Lingfield passing a 2.0 inspection on Saturday afternoon and there is growing optimism that Navan will be in full swing by then.

“Having spoken with Met Éireann, the forecast looks favourable with temperatures already rising and likely to remain from 5 to 6 degrees overnight and into tomorrow. There is a possibility of light rain overnight,” clerk of the course Paddy Graffin reported on Friday.

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“With that forecast we are optimistic racing will go ahead. However, due to the fact we are currently unfit for racing, we will have a precautionary inspection at 7.30 to assess the situation,” he added.

The impact of the cold snap, and the loss of Ascot’s Clarence House Chase card, has worked in favour of Leopardstown, with confirmation that top two-miler El Fabiolo has been switched to the Dublin Racing Festival.

The favourite for the two-mile crown at Cheltenham in March will contest the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase rather than face Jonbon in any Clarence House reschedule.

Confidence about Navan going ahead is particularly good news for local trainer Eddie Cawley who could land the €45,000 handicap hurdle with the aptly named Catch The Beast.

The six-year-old was lucky to survive a 2018 foaling that coincided with the notorious ‘Beast from the East’ snowstorm.

“He was born on the night of the famous storm and we nearly lost him. I was watching the mare on camera and next thing the wind ripped through the place and we lost all our power, and I couldn’t get the generator working,” Cawley recalled after Catch The Beast won at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve. “The foal was half out and was on his last breath when we got to him.”

That Punchestown success was a first for the horse and coincided with his initial try at two-and-a-half miles. He was well supported in betting markets too and could hardly have won by 10 easier looking lengths.

Catch The Beast has a substantial 17lb ratings hike for that and must overcome a couple of course specialists in topweight Harvard Guy and veteran Lord Erskine. However, he does appear to be a progressive type.

Cawley’s small string have been in notably good form in recent weeks, including a St Stephen’s Day success at Leopardstown with Ataboycharlie. His other runner on Saturday, Chosen Diamond, won over fences at Naas in November and will try to exploit a similar mark over flights in a handicap.

Gordon Elliott has 10 runners for Saturday’s card, and they will be of particular interest given unease the trainer expressed last weekend about the form of some of his massive string.

It didn’t stop him sending out a winner at Punchestown on Monday, although it will be interesting to see how a pair of talented novice hurdlers fare in the opening two races.

Better Days Ahead goes in the opener and wasn’t beaten far in a Grade Two at the track last month. My Trump Card is a course bumper winner but was beaten at odds-on in Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day.

Potential alternatives might be shrewd in the circumstances and Asian Master is an interesting runner for Willie Mullins in the first.

Amateur rider Thomas Costello rides the family-owned point-to-point winner and the 22-year-old jockey partnered Asian Master to defeat a stable companion at Thurles last month. That stable companion subsequently won his own maiden and Navan’s stamina test could suit Asian Master.

Saturday’s Beginners’ Chase was won a year ago by Mahler Mission while no less than Minella Indo emerged on top in it four years ago.

Mullins is represented by the Grade One hurdler Minella Cocooner who returned from injury to finish third to Fact To File at Leopardstown over Christmas.

The free-running sort takes on smart opposition that includes Paul Nolan’s Sandor Clegane. He finished runner-up in Grade Two company last time and Nolan is hoping the benefit of that experience pays off here.

“We were a bit disappointed by how far he was beaten the last day but hopefully we have our reasons,” the Co Wexford trainer said.

“There were a couple of fences that he was perhaps a little bit scratchy at, but I thought he was far better the last day than he was the first day and he looked like he enjoyed himself far more.

“We were way happier with his jumping than the first day so it was definitely a step forward,” Nolan added.