Elliott and Cromwell expected to dominate at Navan Racing Festival

RACING Huge crowds expected to flock to Proudstown track

The third Navan Racing Festival will be held this weekend and huge crowds are expected to travel to the Meath race track for the two days.

Among the highlights on an action-packed weekend of racing will be the renowned Troytown Chase, the Fortria Chase and the Lismullen Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott and Gavin Cromwell will both be sending a huge contingent and the pair are expected to have plenty of winners between them. One of the star attractions from the Elliott stable expected to line up will be the talented mare Brighterdaysahead.

Brighterdaysahead stunned the racing world last Christmas when she cruised to victory at Leopardstown. She was fancied to run a big race in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham but things didn’t go to plan for the Gigginstown-owned mare at Prestbury Park.

This weekend, she will commence her chasing career and connections have always said that she will be better over the larger obstacles. Brighterdaysahead is expected to contest the Pat Shiels Memorial Irish EBF Beginners Chase on Sunday. Elliott’s assistant trainer, Lisa O’Neill, thinks that the mare has an exciting season ahead of her.

“I hope the season is exciting for her, I saw her schooling over fences last week and she was very, very good. We saw what she was capable of last season. I know it petered out and didn’t finish the way we wanted it to but she’s in good form and has strengthened up.”

Gavin Cromwell will have plenty of great chances over the two days and speaking to the media, the Gold Cup-winning trainer said that he expects Will The Wise to run a huge race in the feature Troytown Chase.

"Will The Wise has a profile which suggests he should progress. He jumps really well for a novice and I think he should be suited to the Troytown, and I would say he's our best chance of winning it. I think he's our number one. He won a point and looks like a staying chaser."

Cromwell's stable jockey Keith Donoghue, is no stranger to riding winners at Navan. Donoghue has been very impressed with Begorra Man, who will get his season underway in a maiden hurdle this weekend at the festival.

"Begorra Man was very backward last season but he still had a good run in a maiden hurdle behind Kopek Des Bordes and was second to Gameofinches in a Punchestown bumper. Mentally, he has matured an awful lot over the summer and I think he's a very nice horse."