N.H. racing at Navan and Market Rasen

The best jumps racing today, as is usual on a Sunday, comes from Ireland, but unfortunately - as is also usual- there are very small fields in the main events, with 5 runners or less in the 3 Grade Two races at Navan. The hurdles race at 15.10 CET sees an interesting clash between Zaidpour (willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh) and Dunguib (Philip Fenton/ Barry O´Connell); the latter has only run once since the 2011 Champion Hurdle but had won the Champion Bumper in 2009 and looked a major star in the making. He still might be, and Fenton had a Grade One winner last week, but we still prefer the Mullins runner today. Surprisingly Mullins and Walsh have no runners in the other two top races, but is expected to win the maiden hurdle with Daneking at 15.50, but Ruby´s father Ted and Mullins´ nephew Danny can combine to take the novice chase over 3 miles at 16.45 with Foxrock, while the shorter novice chase at 16.10 should go to Bright New Dawn (Dessie Hughes/ Bryan Cooper).

The quality is lower at Market Rasen, but the going at this track in LIncolnshire will not be as bad as it has been everyhere else this year, although it is noticeable that it is an all hurdles card.. This gives a good chance to New Year´s Eve (John Ferguson/ Jack Quinlan) - out of an Acatenango mare - in the handicap hurdle at 15.50, where Wily Fox (James Eustace/ Kieron Edgar) looks a big danger. We also like Maison de Ville (Brian Ellison/ James Revely) - by Sholokhov - in the opening novice hurdle at 14.50.