GORDON Elliott is going in all guns blazing in his bid to win tomorrow’s Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase (2.30) for the seventh time in his career, declaring no fewer than 11 runners for the €100,000 feature.

Jack Kennedy has unsurprisingly opted to ride ante-post favourite American Mike, who beat Fact To File in a beginners’ chase on this weekend 12 months ago, while Munster National third Chemical Energy (ridden by Carl Millar) is bound to appreciate the decent ground on offer.

It looks as though some of the biggest threats to Elliott winning his local track’s annual highlight again could in fact come from trainers who have been associated with the Cullentra handler in years gone by.

Only five other trainers have runners in this year’s Troytown, and three of them - Gavin Cromwell (saddles Yeah Man, Perceval Legallois, Ask Anything and Tyre Kicker), Ian Donoghue (Lisnamult Lad) and Cian Collins (Churchstonewarrior) - have cut their teeth in one guise or another with Elliott previously.

The last-named contender, Churchstonewarrior, is a fascinating one for his young trainer, who is based just 10km from Navan racecourse. Now making his third start since switching from Jonathan Sweeney, he ran with credit when fourth to runaway winner Flooring Porter in the Kerry National when last seen. He also brings strong Navan form to the table.

Course form

Churchstonewarrior’s most recent victory came in the 2023 Ten Up Novice Chase (Grade 2) when edging out Mahler Mission, last season’s Coral Gold Cup runner-up at Newbury and French Champion Hurdle fourth.

Collins told The Irish Field: “Flooring Porter was obviously in a league of his own at Listowel but we were happy that our horse was very competitive otherwise. He ran a nice race.

“I think that Navan will suits him better than Listowel too. It looks like all he does is stay, and the stiff finish there is in his favour. We would have preferred more rain than has come, but I suppose he has won on ground with the word ‘good’ in it before.”

Derek O’Connor is an eyecatching booking for the top-weight, though this will not be the first time he has ridden the nine-year-old. The record-breaking amateur was aboard Churchstonewarrior when second on his point-to-point debut at Kildorrery in February 2020.

“We were thinking about possibly claiming off him, with him having the top weight, but when Derek was available we went with him,” said Collins, who previously spent half a dozen years with the Elliott team.

“He’s a quality horse with some good form. I think he’s now settling in very well with us and is in good shape.”

The trainer added: “This has been the plan for him for a long time. It would be unreal if we could manage to win a race like the Troytown. I was with Gordon for a couple of the years that he won the race and it’s a massive one to try to win.”