There’s a neat baton change between the codes this weekend with the first Grade One of the jumps season on Saturday preceding Sunday’s wind-up of the flat campaign in Naas.
Down Royal’s €150,000 Ladbrokes Champion Chase has just a handful of runners headed by last year’s runner-up Galvin.
With a successful reappearance under his belt already this season, and no Frodon to try and peg back this time, Gordon Elliott’s star looks the one to beat.
Also lining up is Elliott’s surprise Irish Gold Cup winner Conflated while perhaps the most intriguing element of the contest is Envoi Allen’s return to three miles.
The one-time ‘next big thing’ in Irish racing has run just once over the distance before and had to be pulled up.
Reported breathing difficulties helped make the decision to drop back to two miles last season which yielded a Grade One at Christmas although hardly the fireworks once so widely anticipated for him.
Henry de Bromhead’s call to extend Envoi Allen in trip again is noteworthy but Galvin’s overall credentials, which include a Christmas defeat of A Plus Tard, are difficult to ignore.
Only four are declared for the Grade Two Eventsec Chase where Elliott’s Fury Road has to concede a Grade One penalty.
Elliott’s domination of Saturday’s bumper has been uninterrupted for the last seven years although the point-to-point winner King Of Kingsfield could have a worthwhile opponent in the Mullins newcomer, Honky Tonk.
Billy Lee’s suspension has prevented a final day nail-biter for Sunday’s flat finale. It means Colin Keane can enjoy a coronation for his fourth jockeys’ championship after a prolonged struggle with his rival.
Keane has seven rides at Naas including Jesse Evans for Noel Meade in the featured €90,000 Colm White November Handicap.
Jamie Powell has been one of the apprentice finds of the season and the claimer takes 5lbs off The Shunter in the big race.
The handicapper has given JP McManus’s versatile star a mark of 93 after three runs on the level but he is back to two miles, won’t mind testing conditions, and has Powell’s allowance to boot.
Keane will also team up with the Group One winner Helvic Dream in a conditions race.
Aidan O’Brien is champion trainer in Ireland for a 25th time and has two in a juvenile maiden including Sierra Blanca who chased home Cairo in a Group Three in his last race.
Dylan Browne McMonagle, who rode his first Group One winner on Al Riffa in September’s National Stakes, can celebrate his apprentice title success on board Cavallo Pazzo in Sunday’s opener.
