4 Grade Two races in Navan today

easily the best racing today comes from Ireland, where Navan´s big meeting, held over from Sunday, finally gets staged and includes the Red Mills Chase over 2 1/2 miles at 14.35 CET, which has already been abandoned twice. There are - as so often in Ireland -very small fields for all the featured races and only 4 line up here, with Rubi Light (Robert Hennessy/ Andrew Lynch) the clear favourite. He has to concede weight all round but is still well clear on ratings and has won this race for the past two years, when it was run at its usual home of Gowran Park. Foildubh (John Ryan/ Paul Carberry) can take second spot.
The other 3 graded races all look like a duel between Ruby Walsh on a Willie Mullins runner and Davy Russell riding for Gigginstown, and in each case we just about prefer the Mullins candidate. In the Boyne Hurdle at15.05 this is Thousand Stars, runner-up to Hurricane Fly the last twice, but this time the clear favourite himself after winning the French Champion Hurdle last year; Russell is on Gordon Elliott´s Le Beau Matin, who gets 9 lbs and looks the better of the two Gigginstown runners.
In the Flyingbolt Novice Chase at 16.45, Ruby is on Twlinlight, out of a Big Shuffle mare, who has won 5 of his 8 starts, including the last 3; he has to concede 6 lbs to Russell´s mount, Tony Martin´s Dedigout and there should be very little between them. In the novice chase over 3 miles at 17.20, Russell is on the top-weight for a change, Dessie Highes´ Tofino Bay, a very consistent performer over the years, but we doubt that he can give 5 lbs to the much younger and more lightly-raced Terminal, who can complete a great day for the Mullins/ Walsh team - who can also take the opening maiden hurdle at 14.05 with City Slicker, while Mullins has put his son Paddy on Perfect gGentleman at 15.35, another maiden hurdle, and on Made in Germany in the bumper at 17.50, and they too have obvious chances.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: City Slicker - Some Drama - Irish Thistle
2. Race: Rubi Light - Foildubh - Hidden Cyclone
3. Race: Thousand Stars - Si C`Etait Vrai - Un Beau Matin
4. Race: Perfect Gentleman - Mullaghanoe River - Gold Bullet
5. Race: Thepartysover - Stop The Clock - Monelissio
6. Race: Dedigout - Twinlight - Buckers Bridge
7. Race: Tofino Bay - Terminal - He`S A Delight
8. Race: Made In Germany - Quickpick Vic - Gaius Marius