Elliott appears to hold all the aces in Navan Grade 2 There are two Grade 2 races on a quality seven-race card at Navan today and Gordon Elliott holds a very strong hand in the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Novice Chase where Better Days Ahead looks sure to go off a short-priced favourite. The Bective Stud-owned gelding won the ‘Martin Pipe’ at Cheltenham last March and made a successful start over fences at Navan in November before being just denied by stablemate Croke Park in a Grade 1 at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting. The seven-year-old son of Milan was taken out of the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at last weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival due to the going but Elliott feels ground conditions will suit him well this afternoon. “Better Days Ahead was just touched off at Leopardstown. I think the three miles will suit him on the ground and he’s won around Navan before,” said the Cullentra trainer. Elliott is also represented by Stellar Story and Three Card Brag. “Stellar Story obviously won the Albert Bartlett last year and he’s in good form. “His jumping hasn’t been great and we’ve done a lot of schooling with him, so I’m hoping for a nice run from him. “Three Card Brag won at Navan the last day, so hopefully one of them will win.” The five-runner field is completed by the Willie Mullins-trained Chosen Witness and Vincent Halley's Arctic Skua. The William Hill Top Price Guarantee Boyne Hurdle is the other Grade 2 race on the card and the line-up includes former Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, Grade 1 winner Farren Glory and the Thedevilscoachman, who won this race three years ago and made a pleasing return last month when runner-up in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran. The going at Navan remains soft to heavy following 4mm of rain since declarations. The forecast is for a dry day with temperatures around 7C and the action gets underway at 1.40.
