Suas Sios is two lengths behind Crosshue Boy after the last© Photo Healy Racing
The punishing uphill climb from the last at Navan often provides plenty of drama and so it proved again as Suas Sios rallied strongly to land the Follow Navan On Facebook Beginners Chase.
The absence of likely hot favourite Kings Bandit (lame) made this five-runner affair very winnable, and the Paddy Rooney-trained gelding was the one to take advantage. Crosshue Boy took it up at the penultimate fence and the 13/8 favourite looked set to score when holding a two length advantage at the last.
However Conor Maxwell’s mount dug deep on the run-in and finished to such effect that he was a length and a half ahead at the line. Cloudy Morning led for much of this 2m4f event but could find no extra after two out to finish a further 15 lengths away in third.
Maxwell said, “He won a point-to-point about a month ago in Oldtown which is a good stiff track.
“He ran the last day over two miles and I thought on soft ground he'd be good enough to be bang there with them but he just got outpaced against good horses. Today as soon as Gordon's horse came out of it I thought he had a right chance.
“Coming across the bottom I only came on to the bridle and then got outpaced from the third last to the second last. I knew going to the last I'd always get back up. He's a right stayer. In fairness he was sticking his neck out and he was always going to get there.
“I thought if I got a good quick jump at the last I'd definitely get there and the further I was going the better I was going.”
(GC & AM)
