DERRYMOYLE, who won the corresponding race last year, is taken as the bet of the day in the featured Boyne EBF Hurdle at Navan this afternoon.
The gelding was beaten nine lengths by Guest Performance at Punchestown last month - a race in which Antapoura fell at the second last after looking a major threat - and is sure to be spot on for this afternoon's event, considering the race was his first for some time after undergoing an operation for a wind problem.
However, he will not have matters all his own way with the likes of What A Question, the aforementioned Antapoura, who will be ridden by Charlie Swan in preference to Urubande, and Notcomplainingbut in the starting line up.
What A Question made all the running at Leopardstown in December and stayed on strongly in the closing stages to beat Antapoura by four lengths. The runner up will be hard pressed to gain revenge here on the same terms and What A Question looks the main threat to Derrymoyle.
Winner of last year's Queen Mother Champion Chase, Klairon Davis will be at cramped odds to land the Nobber Handicap Chase.
The gelding was having only his third outing of the season when beaten eight lengths by Merry Gale in the McCain Chase at Leopardstown. However, he is a horse that usually take a while to come to his best and it is usually at this time of the season.
Harcon makes a welcome return to the racetrack in this event. Jim Dreaper's huge gelding has not raced since finishing lame at the 1995 Punchestown Festival, so a injury free round will be all that is expected.
Thirty runner handicap hurdles are probably not the best races for nap selections. However, Vasiliki can confirm recent Punchestown superiority over Coolree Lord and Treanaree in the Boardsmill Handicap Hurdle.
Windy Bee beat Boro Bow by a length at Fairyhouse last month and should confirm that form in the Dunboyne European Breeders Fund Mares Hurdle.
. Due to a protest march in Dunshaughlin, racegoers travelling to Navan races today from the Dublin direction may experience long delays. Racegoers are advised to travel to Navan via the Ashbourne Slane route, which can be accessed from the M50 motorway.
. Jason Titley was banned for 10 days after he was found guilty of causing intentional interference at Newbury yesterday. He was suspended for all racedays from February 17th until 27th over an incident during the Mayor of Boston Handicap Hurdle.
Riding Karshi, the Irishman steered his mount left into Kingdom of Shades, who was on his inside, as the pair approached the fifth last flight. Titley has no plans to appeal, but said: "Wherever there is no running rail not like this will always happen because people take liberties by coming up the inner."
