NAVAN hosts three blacktype contests on Sunday and local trainer Noel Meade appears to have a strong chance in the first two, beginning with Blue Mosque in the Listed Ryan’s Cleaning Apple’s Jade Mares Novice Hurdle.

Described by Sam Ewing as “an exciting filly” after her winning hurdle debut in November, she disappointed in a Grade 3 next time out, but reproduced her early promise with a close second last month.

Reflecting on her latest start, the trainer told The Irish Field: “She didn’t jump as well as we hoped she might. This is a harder contest and it’s hard to know how good some of them are. So, we’d be more hopeful than confident.”

Donagh Meyler takes the ride on Sunday, as Ewing partners Gordon Elliott’s contender Magic Boum, in a field of six.

Back for more

Mark Walsh will be aboard Meade’s next runner, the J.P. McManus-owned Thedevilscoachman in the Grade 2 William Hill Top Price Guarantee Boyne Hurdle.

Successful in this race three years ago, the now nine-year-old went on to win two Grade 3s over fences and returned from a 297-day absence last month, keeping on well to finish second in the Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle.

“The softer the ground, the better he is,” Meade noted. “He ran great the last day, on his first run for a long time, so hopefully he’ll improve. He seems well at home.”

The team enjoyed a big-race winner at the Dublin Racing Festival, when Philip Meade’s home-bred Colcannon recorded back-to-back wins in the Grade 2 bumper on Saturday. “He’s come out of the race well,” Meade reports.

“I couldn’t be happier with him.Obviously, he’s not eligible for Cheltenham, so he can’t go there. We might wait for Punchestown, but there is a possibility he could run in Fairyhouse before that.”