Navan National Hunt card takes centre stage The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Chase Final is the highlight on an eight-race card at Navan this afternoon and Gold Cup winning owner JP McManus appears to hold a strong hand in this €60,000 event. Mark Walsh takes the mount on Canal End in the extended 2m7f stamina test at 4.30pm while Simon Torrens maintains his association with Verdant Place who has already won twice over course and distance this season. The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle (3.20) is the chief supporting race, and the premium is again on stamina in what looks a competitive six-runner affair. It is over ten years since Jim Bolger trained a winner over jumps, but the Coolcullen maestro has the odds-on favourite in the opening Mongey Communications Maiden Hurdle (Division 1) with Eastern Legend. The Teofilo gelding won three times on the Flat to earn a rating of 97 and has shown some useful form over hurdles including when placed behind Romeo Coolio in a Grade 1 at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting. The absence of Grey Pharoh means that Krak is currently around evens favourite in division two, while the Terence O’Brien-trained Jay Pee M has been well supported from 7/2 into 7/4 favourite for the Kilberry Handicap Chase at 5.05. The going at Navan is currently yielding to soft following 5mm of rain overnight with the possibility of further light showers and the action gets underway at 1.40pm.
