Meade pair out of Grade 1 Navan Hurdle

Gary Carson

Published at Dec 15, 2013, 10:14

Apache Stronghold
© Photo Healy Racing

The Grade 1 Navan Novice Hurdle has been reduced to just two runners after the Noel Meade-trained pair Apache Stronghold and Very Wood have both ruled out.

Doubts arose yesterday about the participation of Apache Stronghold and it was confirmed this morning that the gelding would miss the race due to a foot abscess.

A statement on the yards blog site read:- "Unfortunately Apache Stronghold won't run today at Navan. He is ok but not 100% so will miss out today and will run at Christmas instead."

The local trainer suffered a further blow in the two and a half mile contest when Very Wood was found to be off feed.

This leaves Cheltenham Bumper winner Briar Hill to face just one rival in Azorian

About Gary Carson

Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.

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