Elliott dominates Troytown entries again
A total of 33 horses have stood their ground for the Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan on Sunday. Among them are leading ante-post fancies Acapella Bourgeois, A Genie In Abottle and Hurricane Darwin.
Gordon Elliott dominated at the meeting last year and was responsible for six of the seven winners, including the Bryan Cooper-ridden Empire Of Dirt in the €100,000 feature. He had previously won the race with Balbriggan in 2014 and with Riverside City in 2015.
He has eight going forward including his Guinness Kerry National winner Potters Point, the BoyleSports Irish Grand National fifth General Principle, and Mala Beach, runner-up to A Genie In Abottle on his first start in 19 months at Galway recently.
Noel Meade won this race 20 years ago with Heist and the Gigginstown House Stud-owned A Genie In Abottle heads the weights. He could be joined in the race by stable companions Bonny Kate, third in the race last year, and Wounded Warrior.
Acapella Bourgeois, the runaway winner of the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase here in February heads Willie Mullins’ five remaining entries. Logical Song went up 12lbs for his win in the Paddy Power Cork Grand National Handicap Chase and could yet represent Mags Mullins while Alan Fleming has long had the Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase in mind for Hurricane Darwin which has also stood his ground.
Featuring on a strong supporting card at Navan on Sunday is the Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle which has attracted 14 entries headed by the exciting Samcro, trained by Gordon Elliott. Elliott holds a strong hand in the €42,500 event and has also entered his impressive Cork winner Cracking Smart while the mares Good Thyne Tara and Half The Odds could yet carry the hopes of Willie Mullins and Noel Meade respectively.
The Listed Coolmore N.H. Sires Irish EBF Mares Flat Race has an initial entry of 16 horses headed by Moonlight Escape, Ainsi Va La Vie and Lady Ischia while the Grade B Proudstown Handicap Hurdle of €50,000 boasts an entry of 18, headed by Elliott’s Glenloe and the Paul Nolan-trained Mon Lino.
Peter Killeen, Manager of Navan Racecourse, said: “Our flagship day is living up to our expectations with the feature Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase being strongly supported yet again by the top trainers with top quality horses. The remainder of the card on Sunday is particularly strong with two other valuable graded races, with the day finishing with a listed mares’ bumper. In conjunction with the build-up to our biggest day of the year our new website has been launched where racegoers can get a flavour of what to expect. We have been promised a dry day for Sunday and we are looking forward to a big crowd and a spectacular day’s racing.”
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