Navan Sunday review | Hunters Yarn states Cheltenham Festival case
A look back at selecting the rest of the action from Sunday’s meeting at Navan, where Hunters Yarn impressed for Willie Mullins.
hunter yarn bolstered Willie Mullin’s potential hand for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham next month with a pivotal win in a Navan listed company.
The most successful trainer in the history of the festival is already home to ante-post favorites for the traditional opener at Facile Vega, while last weekend’s Leopardstown conquerors Il Etait Temps and Impaire Et Passe are other top-tier operators in the mix for the Closutton Handler.
Three-time record winner Hunters Yarn was tied in his first two hurdles races but made luck for the third time with an impressive performance at Naas last month and earned himself a step up in class.
American Mike, second to Facile Vega in last year’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, was the 11/8 favorite, recovering from an underperforming on the course in the autumn, with Hunters Yarn scoring a 3/1 shot at the hands of Paul Townend .
American Mike cut much of the race in the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Novice Hurdle but couldn’t resist the strong traveling Hunters Yarn, who ultimately won comfortably by six lengths, with Imagine staying in second and Inothewayurthinkin’ American Mike in third displaced .
Paddy Power responded by lowering Hunters Yarn from 25 to 8/1 for the Supreme in his non-runner no-bet market, while Coral offers 16 from 33/1 ante-post.
“He didn’t jump as fluidly as I was hoping, but he showed a nice foot rotation,” Mullins said.
“I think he might be Supreme bound if Simon (Munir) and Isaac (Souede, owner) want to go there.
“He works very intelligently at home and we just drove him down the wrong track on his first run last year when Simon and Isaac were over in Ireland. That taught us a lesson to keep it to a minimum for now.”
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Firm stand (100/30) opened his account via hurdles in the first division Navan Ford & Opel Maiden Hurdle.
Gordon Elliott’s winner from Galway was placed in his first three hurdles and cleaned the fourth time – beating 4/5 favorite Horantzau D’airy by a length in the hands of Jordan Gainford.
“He’s a great horse and he probably wants to go on, but he has a good attitude,” said Elliott.
“He gallops and jumps. Jordan said he was an unlucky loser as he left his hind legs in the penultimate.
“I thought that might be a bit short for him but I had to get a fourth run on him to qualify for the handicaps at Cheltenham.”
The second division went the way of Mullins and Townend by 1/3 shot ho my lord.
The French Flat winner, who suffered an early fall on his Irish debut at Leopardstown over the Christmas period, put it behind him with a comfortable four-and-a-half length win over Banjaxed.
Mullins said: “He quickly regained his confidence after his fall at Christmas. He jumped high over the first few but then came down and started hurdling.
“The further he drove, the better he ran and I could see us picking up speed.
“He’s at the Ballymore (near Cheltenham) and that would be a possible target. He’s destined for it, I think he has enough skills to do it and he showed today that he jumped well enough.”
Elliott also completed a double in the final William Hill Play Responsibly (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.
fire foxridden by Jamie Codd, was the well-backed 11/8 favorite who, after a couple of decent efforts, got lucky in the loss for a third time and went straight to a 10-length win in the closing stages.
Elliott added, “He’s good. We thought he was a fair horse and were disappointed that he got hit in the bumper but he developed well as a result.
“He really won’t be a horse until next year. Whatever he does this year will only be a bonus.
“He obviously can’t drive to the Cheltenham bumper because he ran in a hurdles. We’ll probably go to Fairyhouse or Punchestown. We like him.”
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