Noble Yeats (right) and Any Second Now jumping the last at Aintree last year© Photo Healy Racing
There is a nice Monday bonus for punters with the Navan meeting originally set for March 11 rescheduled this afternoon. The seven-race card gets underway at 1.50 featuring Grand National contenders in the Grade 2 Webster Cup plus a valuable novice handicap chase. Any Second Now has been placed in the last two renewals of the Randox Grand National and Ted Walsh’s charge warms up for another crack at the Aintree showpiece in the Webster Cup Chase (3.25).
The Oscar gelding won this Grade 2 race before an unlucky third at Aintree in 2021 and beat all bar Noble Yeats in the ‘National’ last year.
Denis O’Regan takes over in the saddle from the injured Mark Walsh and the 11-year-old is a general 11/10 chance. Velvet Elvis also takes in this 2m4f race before Aintree, while BoyleSports Irish Grand National entries Busselton and Fire Attach are also in the line-up.
The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Chase Final (3.55) boasts total prizemoney of €60,000 and Yeah Man is a popular order for the Gavin Cromwell yard.
The Westerner gelding reverts to fences following a maiden hurdle win at Thurles last month and has been supported from 11/2 into a general 7/2. Shantreusse and Slip Of The Tongue are next best in the market both at around 5/1 while topweight Must Be Obeyed has also attracted interest in this 12-runner staying event. Senior Chief has been all the rage this morning for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle (2.55) and the Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding is now disputing favouritism with Landrake
The going is currently soft to heavy following 10mm of rain since declarations and the forecast is for a mainly dry day.
