GALVIN heads Gordon Elliott’s three-horse challenge for the big jumps meeting at Far Hills tonight. The yard won the American Grand National (8.42pm) back in 2018 with Jury Duty while Hewick added another Irish win last season.

This is a strong renewal with a nine-horse field for the premier American jump race of the year. A strong case could be made for six or seven runners.

The concern for Galvin and Jack Kennedy could be the sharper distance of two miles and five furlongs, his last outing having been in the Grand National and he has been campaigned over three miles plus over the last few seasons. However, he could still have too much class for this field.

Snap Decision has been the outstanding jumps horse in the US over the last seasons and his eight-length win in the Grade 1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle Stakes (Sebastopol and Noah And The Ark behind) make him favourite here. However he was a below par third behind Sebastopol in a Grade 3 hurdle last time.

L’Imperator won a Grade 1 under Jordan Gainford at Aqueduct in June but was beaten in two subsequent Grade 1s.

Noah And The Ark caused a bit of a surprise in winning this last year from Merry Maker and Seddon, but he too has struggled in two outings so far this year.

Long way

High Definition has come a long way since he went off favourite for the 2021 Irish Derby and contested the St Leger. His last win here was a Leopardstown maiden hurdle in December 2022 though his seven-and-a-half-length second to Impaire Et Passe in 2023, Punchestown Grade 1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle wasn’t a bad effort. He since won a US allowance race for Lesley Young in Middleburg in April.

Gordon Elliott won three of the seven races on the card last year. Set Point, winner of the Kildare Village Ladies Derby Handicap at the Curragh in June represents the Elliott/Kennedy combination in the Foxbrook Champion Hurdle Stakes (7.57pm).

The gelding most recently finished fourth in a Killarney Handicap Hurdle in August and is fifth favourite here on the morning line behind last year’s winner Abaan who was third in the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap Hurdle at Saratoga last time.

Elliott’s Familiar Dreams makes her second visit to the US when she contests the finale, in a 14-horse field over two miles on the flat. She became upset before the stalls on her run at Kentucky Downs and after racing in the front rank, she lost position and weakened over three furlongs out to be tailed off.

A better showing is expected but the stand out is the Graham Motion-trained The Grey Wizard.

The progressive five-year-old was surprisingly beaten at odds-on in that contest having previously won the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup Stakes at Saratoga.

The meeting can be view on the National Steeplechasing Association website. https://nationalsteeplechase.com/racing

SELECTION: GALVIN

Next best: Sebastopol

France

THE Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris (1.33pm) should get a bit of attention tomorrow as the impressive King George winner Goliath reappears after a set-back caused him to miss a Group 1 outing in Germany in the Preis von Europa. The Japan Cup is his target. His six-length Ascot success has been boosted by the second Bluestocking’s Arc win two weeks ago,

This is a decent contest with Zarakem reappearing after a sixth place in the Arc. He had finished second to Auguste Rodin in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. William Haggas sends over Hamish who’s best run was a length second to Luxembourg in the Group 1 Coronation Cup in June.

There are two fillies’ listed races on the card, with plenty of British representation.

The Listed Prix Casimir Delamarre - Fonds Europeen de l’Elevage has five UK runners in Al Anoud (Ralph Beckett), Zarabanda (David O’Meara), Rose Prick (Ed Walker), Tareefa (William Haggas) Molten Rock (Karl Burke) with the Haggas filly looking the best.

The Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr is for three-year-old fillies and Run Away (Andrew Balding), Kindest Nation (Hugo Palmer), Melon Twist (Karl Burke) Fair Point (Ralph Beckett) make a strong raiding party but the Graffard-trained Abstract could keep the prize at home.