Mahon’s Charge Can Rock Them In Troytown

First of all, apologies for the lack of a blog post in the past week. I have taken on some extra work and time constraints mean I haven’t been able to tip anything up. Hopefully things will settle down in the next couple of weeks and I will be able to post more regularly. Last week’s selection Project Bluebook was never put into the race in the Greatwood but I am convinced he has a big handicap in him and he is not one to lose faith in just yet, especially when he is returned to better ground.

 

Stephen Mahon will be trying to win his second Troytown Chase.

Tomorrow one of the big races of the year on the National Hunt scene in Ireland is run at Navan. The Troytown Handicap Chase has been won by some serious horses in recent years, including the likes of Empire Of Dirt (2016), Notre Pere (2008) and two time winner Lyreen Wonder (2000, 2001). Gordon Elliott has won it for the past three years and he supplies 6 of the 22 runners for this season’s renewal.

General Principle and Mala Beach look to be his two main hopes of completing the four timer, but at much bigger odds I think He Rock’s could be capable of a bold show from near the foot of the weights. It is 12 years since Mahon won this race with Prince Of Tara and he has often mentioned He Rock’s in the same breath as that horse. The 8yo son of Beneficial has won three chases so far in his career and the last of those came off a mark of 113 on bottomless ground at Roscommon (25.5f).

That 22L win in October of last year saw He Rock’s handicap mark raised 12lb to 125 but he has run some cracking races off his revised rating. At the start of this year he had form figures of 232 off marks of 124, 126 and 125 respectively so he is undoubtedly capable of hitting the frame off his current rating. Mahon is likely to have trained him with this race firmly in mind, and he made a pleasing enough reappearance at Galway last month.

He was 3rd beaten 21L behind Call It Magic off 126 that day on heavy ground over an inadequate trip of 22.5f. Considering he likely needed the run from a fitness perspective it wasn’t a bad effort at all and he will be in prime condition on Sunday with that behind him. Usual partner Denis O’Regan would not be able to do the weight on him in the Troytown but Mahon has found a more than able deputy in young Jonathon Moore.

He Rock’s will relish the heavy ground at Navan and in such a big field his favoured prominent racing style has to be seen as a positive. He should be at peak fitness after his run at Galway and he has shown he is capable of making an impact off his current rating of 126. His trainer knows what is required to win a race of this nature and at odds of 40/1 I think He Rock’s is worth chancing each way.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: 14.35 NAVAN-HE ROCK’S E/W @ 40/1 (5 places Paddy Power)