Raffles returns in Navan hurdle Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles will make his return to action, over hurdles, at Navan on Saturday with Bryony Frost travelling over to take the ride. The Martaline gelding gave trainer Tom Gibney a second winner in the Fairyhouse feature on Easter Monday and is set to make his first start since winning the historic handicap. He is three from three since joining the Trim handler, all his wins coming at Fairyhouse, and is the first horse Gibney has trained for leading owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. The six-year-old heads the weights in the Listed Bective Stud, Tea Rooms & Apartments Handicap Hurdle over three-miles-one. “We're hoping for a bit of rain, the weather is particularly dry for the time of year,” Gibney told Dave Keena. “He does like a good cut in the ground, we'll see what the weather does. “Aintree is the plan, there is no secret about that. 'That's an awful long way away and we'll take it day by day. It's great to be going there with a nice horse, or heading in that direction anyway.” The ground at Navan is currently good to yielding, yielding in places with approximately 10-15mm of rain forecast.
