Review navan 1st Mar

Bryan Cooper has a great book of rides to look forward to at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival and kept things ticking over in the Gigginstown House Stud colours with an emphatic success on Azorian at Navan.

Sent off the 4-6 favourite for the Follow Navan On Facebook Beginners Chase, the Eoin Griffin-trained seven-year-old set off in front and stayed there.< Big Kern was the only one able to throw down a challenge in the closing stages, but Cooper had a largely untroubled passage and his mount proved much the stronger on the run to the final fence before forging clear to strike by eight lengths.

The jockey doubled up when No Secrets returning from a long lay-off to make his first start for Tony Martin after switching from the David Pipe yard, landed the Newgrange Veterans Handicap Chase.

The 11-year-old (4-1) led for most of the way and although he lost the advantage to Glenquest going to the second-last, he was soon back in front and won by three-quarters of a length after nearest challenger Letter Of Credit made a mess of the final fence.

Jody McGarvey wore the second colours of JP McManus on The Parishioner in the Dunsany Handicap Chase, but having arrived in contention looking full of running, John Kiely's 11-1 chance pulled out plenty to score by a length and a quarter.

Paul Carberry crept into the picture travelling sweetly on the Noel Meade-trained Wildebeest in the Nobber Maiden Hurdle and nudged the 11-4 joint-favourite ahead of Sizing Titanium after the last to score as he liked by two lengths.< Sam Red wasn't too clever at the final flight in the Racing 15th March Maiden Hurdle, but Alan Fleming's evens favourite had the race in the bag at that stage and he recovered to pass the post 26 lengths clear in the hands of Adrian Heskin.

David Mullins gave Mine Now a confident ride in the Garlow Cross Handicap Hurdle, making smooth progress to take over from Lion Na Bearnai going to the last and driving Peter Fahey's 3-1 joint-favourite four and three-quarter lengths clear.