It was hard to find the motivation to pen this preview. Saturday’s selections all ran absolute stinkers again and confidence is at an all time low. Maybe it’s time I found a new profession… There will be no NAP or NB again on Sunday, keep stakes to a minimum until there are signs that things are turning around. My 2025 Navan & Cheltenham Sunday preview is below.
1.57 Navan – Tara Handicap Hurdle (130 = 11st 12lb)
First of all, I want to apologise in advance to the
connections of my fancy in this valuable handicap hurdle, the locally trained Theflyingbee.
Finbar Hand’s mare did me a favour by winning for the spotlights at Downpatrick
in June. Running off a mark of 114, she relished the easy ground and scored by 1l
in a 2m3f mares’ handicap hurdle.
The daughter of Morozov was hit with a 6lb rise for that victory
and her two runs since came over an unsuitable trip on good ground at Bellewstown
in June and in a Flat maiden at the Curragh later that month, again on
unsuitable ground.
This mare has been freshened up since that Curragh run and I
am hoping she returns in the same sort of form as she did after a similar break
last December. After 93 days off she ran a cracker here (2m4f, yld-sft) off 115
to finish 6l behind the then 115 rated Glen Kiln. That horse is now rated 143 and
is just 12/1 for the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle next weekend.
Theflyingbee pulled 4.75l clear of Boston Rover in third that
day and that rival is now rated 134 over fences. Hand’s mare has had just two
handicap runs on soft ground, returning form figures of 21, so she is relatively unexposed in these conditions and she will surely
be trying her best on her home patch. At odds of 28/1, Theflyingbee is the each
way selection.
2025 Navan & Cheltenham Sunday Tip: Theflyingbee e/w
@ 28/1 (6 places)
2.32 Navan – Troytown Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
This is a speculative one but in the hope that the return to
Navan and to testing ground sparks a revival, I’m going to throw a bit
of loose change on Prince Palace at massive odds.
Pat Fahy’s charge likes it at this venue and he also likes soft ground. He’s
run here on three previous occasions, returning form figures of 312.
The win came on heavy over 2m4f but the two places came at today’s trip,
including a fine third off 120 in a Listed handicap chase in March on soft.
His three runs since that excellent third have been nowhere
near that level but they all came on right handed tracks. It looks to me like
Fahy has targeted this race and even though Prince Palace is 7lb wrong, that is
negated by his rider’s claim and it will be a big plus to be carrying such a
feather weight on ground as testing as this.
At odds of 66/1, hopefully Prince Palace outruns his odds of
66/1 and sneaks into the first six.
2025 Navan & Cheltenham Sunday Tip: Prince Palace e/w
@ 66/1 (6 places)
3.30 Cheltenham – Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (Premier)
I was tempted to leave Cheltenham alone because I am really
starting to hate the place. However, it would be rude not to put something up
for this 20 runner handicap and the one I’ll take a chance on is the
Scottish raider, Dedicated Hero.
Sandy Thomson is a trainer I have a lot of respect for and
when he gets a good one, like he did with Seeyouatmidnight, he knows how to
campaign them. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had many good ones since his stable
star retired but Dedicated Hero might be the horse that catapults him back into
the big time.
He boasts form figures of 11113 at 2m-2m1f and the most
recent of those wins came in a Grade 2 novice at Haydock back in January. Now,
that admittedly wasn’t the strongest race but he finished 9.75l in front of the
odds on favourite Royal Infantry and he ran a solid race in defeat here on
Saturday off a mark of 138. Dedicated Hero gets in here off 129.
Thomson’s charge made his handicap debut after 193 days off
at Carlisle a fortnight ago, so he should be sharper for that run over a trip
that stretches him. This horse has always been held in high regard, hopefully
he proves connections right on Sunday at odds of 33/1.
2025 Navan & Cheltenham Sunday Tip: Dedicated Hero
e/w @ 33/1 (6 places)
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