The Jam Man set to defend Troytown title at Navan

Cullentra trainer Gordon Elliott has 12 of the 37 entries received for the €80,000 Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase which will be run at Navan on Sunday 21st November.

Last year’s runaway winner, The Jam Man, will be out to stage a repeat victory. Sent off a strongly supported 5/2 favourite 12 months ago, The Jam Man ran out a most impressive 18 length winner under Paul Townend for trainer Ronan McNally.

Back-to-back winners of this prestigious race are not that common and indeed one has to go back to 2001 to find the last repeat winner which was the Arthur Moore trained Lyreen Wonder.

Elliott won this race on four consecutive occasions from 2014 to 2017 and he has a dozen entries to choose from this time round with the likes of last season’s Thyestes Chase winner, Coko Beach, along with recent Cheltenham winner, Definite Plan and Irish Grand National runner-up, Run Wild Fred, all sure to play a prominent role if lining up on the day.

Another interesting Elliott contender could be Milan Native, winner of the Kim Muir Chase at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival who will certainly relish the test of stamina over this three-mile trip.

Other Meath-based trainers with entries are Noel Meade and Gavin Cromwell who both have entered three horses apiece.

Meade saddled Tout Est Permis to win the race as a 5yo in 2018 and he could well line up again with stable companions School Boy Hours and Snow Falcon, the Kerry National winner of three years ago, while Cromwell’s trio are Peaches And Cream, the lightly raced but talented Alfa Mix and recent Galway winner Ilikedwayurthinkin for legendary owner, JP McManus.

Trainer Willie Mullins has only won the Troytown Chase once to date with Beroni proving successful in 2009 and he has five entries engaged for this year’s renewal.

His experienced novice chaser, Fan De Blues, winner of a Grade 3 event at the Galway Festival in July is an interesting contender along with Class Conti, third in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran in January and Stones And Roses, absent since winning a handicap chase on heavy ground at Punchestown last December, but certainly one that could make his presence felt.

Henry de Bromhead was successful with Chris’s Dream in 2019 and has entered both Sompteux and Eleazar Des Neiges while Jessica Harrington has yet to add the Troytown Chase to her illustrious list of big-race career wins and will be hoping that her charge, Discordantly, can improve on his creditable fourth placing last year while she has also entered Port Stanley.

Top Moon is Joseph O’Brien’s sole entry and he must be respected after finishing a fine third in last month’s Munster National at Limerick.

Other notable entries are Pat Fahy’s Mister Fogpatches, third in the Scottish National at Ayr last April and in the recent Cork Grand National, the Philip Dempsey trained Ten Ten and Padraig Roche’s Uisce Beatha, a winner at the Listowel Festival on his most recent start.

The Troytown Chase always attracts a big field and is fiercely competitive but it has been won by some well-fancied contenders in recent years with six winning favourites since the turn of the century.

The biggest priced winner in recent times was John Berry’s Cootamundra at odds of 25/1 in 2013 but it generally falls to a horse who is pretty close to the top of the betting market and this year’s renewal promises to be a very exciting one judged by the quality of the entries.

“Ladbrokes Troytown Chase Day is always one of the highlights of our jumps season and after being unable to have people in attendance last year, it makes this year’s renewal all the more exciting," said Aidan McGarry, Navan Racecourse manager.

"The support of each owner and trainer, along with the support of our sponsors Ladbrokes, is greatly appreciated and we look forward to welcoming everyone here when we will also be marking our 100th year of racing on the racecourse.

"Advanced priced tickets are now on sale on www.navanracecourse.ie and attendees should book early to avail of this offer.”