Canardier fine after Navan fall Dermot McLoughlin reports Canardier none the worse for his fall at Navan last Saturday. The French-bred gelding looked an unlucky loser on his chase debut at the Meath track when crashing out two from home. He was upsides eventual winner Ten Ten and apparently travelling best when making his exit in the two-and-a-half mile beginners chase. The seven-year-old proved a smart handicap hurdler last season, finishing third in a Grade 3 contest at Aintree, and McLoughlin hopes he can be an even better chaser:- “He seems to be fine and it was just unfortunate. Keith Donoghue said he was travelling really well. “They stepped up a gear and he said he just didn't get the landing gear out. He said he had plenty of horse underneath him. “He'll probably go to Leopardstown for a two-mile-five beginners chase there over Christmas. “He wants good ground and he never really got it last year. He got it early in the season but it was slow ground in both Cheltenham and Liverpool. “I wasn't even going to run him in Liverpool but myself and Barry Geraghty walked the track and Barry said 'look we'll have a go' and he ran a cracker on that ground. “He's a spring/summer horse but we have to go again to get him out. Leopardstown will suit him better. “You'd have to like him and hopefully he will improve a bit for fences. “He ran in good races last season without being a graded horse. He was a very good handicapper over hurdles and I'd like to think he'd be a graded horse over fences.”
