RACING Tomorrow's €85,000 Stanleybet Troytown Chase will be some slog through the Navan mud, but it does appear to present a good opportunity for Star Clipper to notch up a big race success.
Noel Meade's horse chased home Garvivonnian in the Cork Grand National over three-and-a-half miles earlier this month, so the vital stamina ingredient is guaranteed.
There are sound reasons for believing Star Clipper can reverse the form with his old rival who tops the weights and who has half a mile less to travel.
Star Clipper, on the back of a warm-up run over hurdles, momentarily looked set to swallow up Garvivonnian early in the straight in Cork, and this time is reunited with stable jockey Paul Carberry while also enjoying a 5lb pull in the ratings.
A real threat at the right end of the weights must be Jaquouille, while proven stayers like Hume Castle and Fatherofthebride will also make their presence felt.
But Star Clipper looks due.
Meade is represented by the easy Limerick winner Laurel View in the Grade Three Monksfield Hurdle, where the smart mares Sweet Kiln and Blazing Liss also try to get back to winning form.
An interesting contender is Petertheknot, who made the highly-rated Royal Paradise pull out all the stops at Naas over two miles and who should not be hampered by the half-mile hike in trip.
The bet of the afternoon at Navan, however, looks to be Fota Island, who can make his third start over fences this season count in the Beginners Chase. He ran into a real one in Watson Lake over this course and distance earlier in the month, and should have too much of a finishing kick for GVA Ireland.
Strike Back can also make it third time lucky in the novice chase at Cork after running into the very smart Mariah Rollins at Down Royal. Barry Geraghty's mount looks to have too much finishing pace for the smart staying hurdler Inexorable.
Geraghty should enjoy a profitable trip south, as Hardy Duckett's rating presents a good argument in the conditions hurdle.
Haggle Twins followed up a good second at Galway with a bumper victory in Down Royal and should be hard to beat in the maiden hurdle, while Liscooney can follow up a course success last month in the bumper.
