Tofino set for Troytown repeat

Dessie Hughes could be double-handed at Navan on Sunday as he bids to win the Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase for the second successive year.

The Gigginstown-owned Tofino Bay won this €100,000 event 12 months ago, while the Curragh trainer could also run Raz De Maree - absent since landing both the Munster and Cork Nationals last year.

“I’d say it’s possible that both will run. Tofino Bay won the race last year and with rain likely and the likelihood of soft ground, I’d like to run them,” said Hughes.

He added, “Raz De Maree hasn’t run so far this year as he hasn’t had his ground, but he should get it at the weekend. They are both in good shape.”

Galway Plate winner Carlingford Lough tops the weights among the 25 entries for this three-miler while Jim Dreaper, who landed this in 2008 with subsequent Welsh National winner Notre Pere, will be represented this year by the lightly raced Goonyella.

The Presenting gelding graduated from point-to-points to score twice under rules last season, notably in a competitive staying handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival.

“He’ll run in the Troytown Chase,” commented Dreaper. “He just a bit tired on his first run back at Galway, but he should come on for that. It is the bit after three miles that you’ll see the best of him, but Navan is a tough track and he’ll have his chance.

“Long term, he could be a Welsh, English or Irish National horse,” he added.

The six-year-old was pulled up in last season’s Irish National and Dreaper explained, “Unfortunately I didn’t put the saddle on properly in the Irish National and it slipped. It was my fault but he came back to win well after that at Punchestown.”

“He is not a top horse, but he is an honest stayer. It is early days for him and he seems to handle most types of ground. He really tries and regardless of their ability, when you have one that tries, you have a chance.”

Ted Walsh plans to run Colbert Station, who won the valuable Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown last Christmas and was one of the leading fancies for the John Smith’s Grand National only to unseat Tony McCoy around halfway at The Chair.

The Kill handler said, “It looks like he’ll run. I thought he’d have run a bit better at Naas, but he probably needed it. The Ladbrokes Troytown Chase is the obvious place to go. He is not good enough for the better races and off 147, there aren’t many places to go with a horse like him.

“He’ll have close enough to top weight and at nine years of age, I wouldn’t have thought that he’d improve a great deal. But if he maintains his form from last year and jumps around well he’ll win another race along the line. He is in good nick and Navan is a fine track, and that is where he’ll go.”

Rich Revival, who completed a hat-trick last season when taking the Leinster National at Naas in March, will represent Liz Doyle in Sunday’s feature and she said: “We’d be looking for heavy ground for him. He excels on deep winter ground and in a race like that you want everything in your favour.

“He is in great form. He won his bumper first time out and then he missed a season. But he came back last year and won first time out over fences.”

She added, “He has been in training for a while, he has had his gallop and he is good first time out. This race has been the plan for a while. He likes to go left handed and he has already won around Navan. He jumps great and he should have a nice weight - we just need a bit of rain.”

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