2023 Navan Saturday Racing Preview and Tips – DS
2023 Navan Saturday Racing Tips
In case you missed it earlier this week, Dave Stevos posted a 33/1 ante-post tip for the Thyestes. This weekend the weather has played havoc with the racing schedule. Ascot and Taunton failed to beat the freeze and Haydock faces a morning inspection. If the weather app I use is correct, there’s no chance they’ll be racing. The temperatures overnight in Ireland are more favourable so hopefully we’ll be racing in the Royal County. Check out Dave’s 2023 Navan Saturday Racing tips below.
12.00 – Rated Novice Hurdle (4yo+)
Not a betting race but one worth watching with a view to the Spring. Banbridge won this last year before going on to win the Coral Cup and one or two of these will probably hope to chart a similar course. Landrake is rated 135 over timber already so with the ‘Irish tax’ that is applied by the UK handicapper, he is almost guaranteed a run. So, will he be there to win and get another hike in the weights?
Spirit Of Legend is only rated 129 after he ran very well off 125 in a Leopardstown handicap. He’d need to go up a few pounds to get into a big festival handicap so he’ll probably be there to do his best. We backed Intranet last time at Leopardstown in a G1 Novice. He was beat 33L into 5th and this should be more realistic. He does have something to prove though so odds of 5/2 don’t appeal.
Ifiwerearichman made all to score at Down Royal over 17f last time. A free going sort, 16f around Navan on testing ground will put his stamina to the test. Path D’Oroux could be the value at around 6/1, if he leaves his last two runs behind. To be fair, he beat Intranet by 5L last time at Leopardstown, even if it was a disappointing effort. If he bounced back to the form he showed at Galway in October, he could be the one to be on. However, with just six runners I’m happy to watch this one. No bet.
2023 Navan Saturday Racing Tips: No Bet
1.07 – Navan Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)
A decent pot for this Grade B contest and I can’t let Barnacullia go unbacked at odds of 16/1. This son of Ocovango has been chasing this season and he landed a decent Galway Novice back in October (18f sft/hvy). He beat a horse called Punitive off levels that day and he went on to land the Porterstown Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse on his next outing off a mark of 129 (now rated 138).
On his next outing the Mulvanys stepped their charge into G2 company at Punchestown (17f yld). It wasn’t a bad effort by Barnacullia to finish 3rd, 13L behind the 141 rated Midnight Run, 4L behind the 129 rated Mars Harper and a distance ahead of the 139 rated Grand Paradis. Last time out he tried 24f in G1 company and he came up short behind Gaillard Du Mesnil.
Course Form
On his sole start over this C&D he finished a fine 3rd in a G3 behind Hollow Games and Lunar Display. He was 4L behind the winner, to whom he was conceding 2lbs and he is now rated 142 (beat 3.75L in the Coral Cup off 143). Barnacullia was 2.5L behind Lunar Display (conceding 6lbs) and she is now rated 129.
That fine run came on good ground and it will admittedly be very different today. However, he is 2/4 on soft/heavy to heavy so the conditions should be fine for him. He gets in off a rating of just 120 today and on the form I have outlined above, that looks a very competitive mark. The booking of Jordan Gainford is eye catching (3/7 for the yard) and at odds of 16/1, hopefully he can make it 4/8 on Saturday.
2023 Navan Saturday Racing Tips: Barnacullia e/w @ 16/1 (4 places) NAP
1.42 – Ardmulchan Handicap Hurdle (80-109)
A 19 runner handicap hurdle and it is as open as they come. It’s a lottery as to which horses will be trying in a race of this nature when the prize money is so low. However, I saw enough in the run of Cocoplum last time out on her handicap debut to justify a small e/w bet here. This horse has showed promise on more than one occasion under rules. She ran really well on her debut when 2nd in a Galway bumper (16f sft) and she also displayed potential in hurdle runs at Punchestown, Leopardstown and Down Royal.
The handicapper awarded her a mark of 102 on the back of those efforts and she made her handicap bow over 22f on yielding to soft at Fairyhouse just before Christmas. She carried 12 stone that day and Denis O’Regan rode. O’Regan dropped his mount out in rear and she clattered the first hurdle. However, as the race progressed her jumping improved and with a mile to go, O’Regan pulled her wide and began to make places.
Travelling Well
Half a mile from home she looked to be travelling into contention but as they turned into the straight, the tank emptied. On the evidence of that effort the drop back to 20f looks sure to suit and she’ll only have to carry 11st 5lbs this time.
First time cheekpieces are now applied and she was running arguably her best race on her only career start going left handed at 20f when falling at the last at Leopardstown. The fact that Denis O’Regan abandons ship is a worry but Kevin Sexton is an able deputy and at 40/1, Cocoplum hopefully tries her best and runs into the money.
