Refused A Name (blue and white) comes to beat the grey, Popaflora, with Hidden Present (yellow) and others chasing© Photo Healy Racing
Refused A Name is giving his owner, Brendan Long, and trainer John 'Shark' Hanlon plenty of enjoyment, and the Montjeu gelding registered his third success since St Stephen's Day in the Dunsany Handicap Chase at Navan. Crowded Room and Mr Cosmopolitan went off 7/1 joint favourites here, to show how competitive this two mile one furlong event was, but soft ground loving Popaflora (on whom Andrew Ring picked up a 2 day whip ban) looked like he might fend them all off once leading entering the straight.
However, as a few still held chances, the Andrew McNamara-ridden Refused A Name assumed command around the bypassed last and eventually saw it out best to score by three lengths.
"I dropped him back in trip as I didn't think he stayed the two and a half miles the last day.
"It's great for the owner. He's a doctor in Kilkenny.
"The horse may go for a similar race in Gowran next week now," explained Hanlon afterwards. (AM & EM)
