Navan Listed Novice Hurdle Guide 2023

One of the more interesting runners in this contest, the Donnelly horse wasn't seen on the track for over 3 years when winning his first Hurdle start at Punchestown last month.

That was a very decent effort given the circumstances, being off the track for so long on heavy conditions, he then won comfortably by 5 lengths going away.

There would be a concern as to why he was off the track for so long, and he was swishing his tail in the final stages of his hurdle debut last time, which does raise concerns for some, but there is doubt he is talented to win like he did off a long break.

Should the normal Willie Mullins progression come into play with this horse, he could be the unknown quantity in this fascinating contest. A very interesting runner for the Mullins stables with the talented Bryan Cooper booked.      

As ever Willie Mullins had an excellent Dublin Racing Festival, with multiple Grade 1 winners for the stable. And he looks to have another very decent chance of landing the spoils in this contest, with his emphatic Maiden winner.

Usually, a horse who has only just won his first race over obstacles might not exactly be the first choice to win a Listed contest of this nature, but the Willie Mullins horses are very well known to improve considerably to from Maiden win to next run, and Hunters Yarn is expected to do the same.

He was a decent bumper horse, winning 3 out of his 4 starts, before running a decent enough race on his Hurdle debut, only beaten by a length, before then going on to win with ease on his hurdling debut at Naas last month.

He travelled strongly through the race, making all to soon pull clear coming down the home straight. His jumping left little to be desired late on, but he looked to be a bit lonely out in front so that can excused.

With usual progression expected he could land a blow in this contest, for a red-hot stable. 

The Gordon Elliott horse had a huge reputation before he even ran over Hurdles this season, an excellent bumper horse who only found Facile Vega too good to beat last season, he hasn't exactly lived up to those expectations this season.

Although he was a winner on Hurdle debut at Down Royal in November, that was over 2m6f so this step down to 2 miles raises slight question marks, as he does look more of a staying type, but no doubt he has some ability which was shown when finishing 2nd in last year's Champion Bumper.

As mentioned, this step down to 2 miles might not be played exactly in his strengths judging by his pedigree and previous runs (A Point-to-point winner over 3 miles early on in his career) but he did weaken into 2nd place in his last start in a Grade 3 contest at Navan in November, so what exactly is his trip?

This could be the perfect contest to find out, again like a few of these dropping down in class to a Listed contest. He has a slight break to overcome, but the ever-experienced Davy Russell takes the ride, so you would imagine this is the yards first string.

It will be quite interesting to see how they play this with him, given certain things might not exactly suit. 

Gordon Elliott's third and final runner in this contest is arguably the least exposed, with just the three career runs to her name, only two of them over Hurdles.

She won on debut in the Maiden Mares Hurdle at Galway in October, jumping nicely and travelling strongly, to win by just over 3 lengths.

She then went on to contest in the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle, where she finished a fairly remote 4th, but was only beaten by just over 5 lengths, keeping on nicely up the home straight.

A step up in trip further down the line might be in store for her, like most of these, but she is clearly talented and an interesting runner in this race with a very valuable mares allowance playing in her favour, but her lack of hurdling knowledge might be an issue.  

The Peter Fahey trained horse is the only horse in this contest that hasn't won over hurdles, but does have the same experience over obstacles that most of these runners have.

He was a short priced favourite in a Maiden Hurdle at Down Royal last time out, but was beaten by a decent horse of Gordon Elliott's in that race by just under 3 lengths.

That was his hurdle debut however, so you could argue with the more experience the Peter Fahey trained horse should have been winning that day.

It's hard to see him winning a contest like this with the big boys having some decent prospects in this, he would be worth opposing in this with not having the form of others and keeping an eye on him when he goes handicapping in the near future.    

What looks to be the Gordon Elliott 2nd string in this contest, with the talented Jordan Gainford booked to ride, he looks to have a little to find with some of these on form.

A winner on Hurdling debut back in October at Wexford, that was a fairly eye-catching performance given how raw he looked when running.

He however didn't back that up in a Grade 3 next time out, but was only just beaten by a nice prospect. Before going on to finish 2nd behind a rival in this in a Novice contest at Gowran back in November.

He has a slight break to overcome in this, and has only run on heavier conditions, with the soft conditions a potential question mark, he would have to slightly step up and win a decent enough contest of this nature.

He has a talented jockey onboard, so that might play to his strengths.

Gavin Cromwell's horses are going well at the moment, with a strike rate of 26% for the last 14 days (8 winners in just 31 runners) and his runner here for JP McManus looked a decent little Novice early on in the season.

He won on his Maiden Hurdle which was his first time on a racecourse, and looked like a true professional all the way around, jumping well and keeping on well when asked of in the final stages.

He then backed that up with another decent effort under a penalty next time out at Gowran, again staying on well to the line, looking like a step up in trip may suit.

He was then stepped up in trip when contesting in the Grade 1 Lawlor's Of Naas Hurdle last month, behind some very nice horses.

That race wasn't to suit with hurdles taken out down the straight, making it difficult for horses with the staying ability like him. That was still a decent effort all the same and he was only beaten by 9 lengths by some nice prospects.

Stepping back to 2 mile's might not be ideal, but he is a winner at this trip and the drop-in class is a plus, he looks a potential Graded horse in the near future for a very much inform yard.