There are 25 entries for Sunday’s Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase, one of the highlights of the racing year at Navan and the feature race on the second and final day of this weekend’s Navan Racing Festival.

Trainer Gordon Elliott has won six of the last 10 renewals of the Bar One Racing Troytown Chase, fielding the third, fourth and fifth last year as well as the winner Coko Beach, and the local trainer is again well-represented in this year’s entries.

Top of the handicap is Zanahiyr, who finished second in the Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle at this meeting last year and who finished a close-up third in the Galway Plate during the summer. His owners Bective Stud have three other entries, Fakir D’Alene, who finished third in the Troytown last year, Chemical Energy, third in the Munster National at Limerick last month, and American Mike.

Installed as the early ante post favourite, American Mike won his beginners’ chase at this meeting last year, and he went back to Navan in February and won the Grade 2 Ten Up Chase. The Mahler gelding won his bumper at the County Meath track too as a four-year-old and, a seven-year-old who has run just five times over fences, there could be more to come from him.

Henry de Bromhead, who sent out Chris’s Dream to win the Troytown in 2019, is doubly represented among the entries this year’s renewal. Life In The Park finished a close fourth in the Galway Plate on his last run, just three parts of a length behind Zanahiyr, while The Short Go kept on well to finish second behind his stable companion Senior Chief in a valuable handicap chase at Cheltenham last month.

Another local trainer, Gavin Cromwell, has four horses among the Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase entries, including Perceval Legallois, sixth in the Kerry National last time, and Yeah Man, winner of the Grand National Trial at Haydock last February. The 2023 Ten Up Chase winner Churchstone Warrior, who joined Cian Collins during the summer, is another notable entry, as are the Martin Brassil-trained Panda Boy and the Sean Doyle-trained Monbeg Park.

Elliott holds a strong hand

Sunday’s Grade 3 John Lynch Flooring & Carpets Monksfield Novice Hurdle has attracted 15 entries and, again, Gordon Elliott is well represented in a race that he has won seven times in the last decade. The Yellow Clay, runner-up in the Champion Bumper at Punchestown in April, was impressive in getting off the mark on his hurdling debut at Down Royal recently over two miles and six and a half furlongs, and the drop back down to two and a half miles should not pose any problems.

The Yeats gelding is also entered in the Grade 3 Bar One Racing For Auction Novice Hurdle on Saturday, as are his stable companion Romeo Coolio, Bleu De Vassy, Patter Merchant and Speculatrix, who also holds entries in the mares’ maiden hurdle and in the listed mares’ bumper on Sunday.

Andy Slattery is represented among the entries for the John Lynch Flooring & Carpets Monksfield Hurdle by Fleur In The Park, a comfortable winner of his maiden hurdle on his hurdling debut at Wexford last month, and Royal Hollow, winner of two of her five races over hurdles. Those two are also entered in the For Auction Hurdle on Saturday, while the Oliver McKiernan-trained All For Rachel, who also holds an entry in the Bar One Racing Tara Handicap Hurdle on Sunday, looked good in winning handicap hurdles at Punchestown and Listowel during the early part of the summer.

On Saturday, Captain Guinness looks set to bid to complete a hat-trick of victories in the Grade 2 Bar One Racing Fortria Chase, one of a trio of graded races set for the first day of Navan’s racing festival. Henry de Bromhead’s horse won the Fortria Chase on his seasonal return in 2022 and again in 2023.

He had a tremendous season last year too, going on to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, before going to Punchestown and going down by just a neck to Banbridge in the Punchestown Champion Chase.

He could face his old rival again on Saturday, with Joseph O’Brien’s horse also among the entries. Like Captain Guinness, Banbridge also goes well fresh, he has won on his seasonal debut in each of the last two years, and he won a novice hurdle in January 2022 on his only run to date at Navan.

His stable companion Solness has race fitness on his side, the Konig Turf gelding having won over hurdles at Sligo last month before finishing third behind Saint Sam in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase last week. Found A Fifty is another who has proven his wellbeing already this season, Gordon Elliott’s horse looking good in winning a Grade 2 intermediate chase at Down Royal.

Last year’s winner Bob Olinger heads up the entries for the Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle. Henry de Bromhead’s horse went on to win the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day last season after winning the Lismullen Hurdle, and he went down by just a nose to Impaire Et Passe in a thrilling climax to the Aintree Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in April.

Regaining his crown

The 2022 Lismullen Hurdle winner Home By The Lee – third in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and in the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown in the spring – also holds an entry in this year’s renewal. He could be joined in the race by the Willie Mullins-trained Asterion Forlonge, who finished second to Teahupoo and a head in front of Home By The Lee in the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in May.

He could also be joined by the Jessica Harrington-trained Jetara, winner of a mares’ bumper on her only previous visit to Navan, and winner of a 12-furlong maiden at The Curragh on her first run on the flat, and by Noel Meade’s horse Thedevilscoachman, who is two for two over hurdles at Navan.

Noel Meade is also represented among the entries for the Grade 3 Bar One Racing For Auction Novice Hurdle, by Helvic Dream. Winner of the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup on the flat in 2021, the Power gelding but up a really good performance on his latest run over hurdles in finishing second behind Kala Conti in a hot handicap hurdle at Down Royal.

He could face a strong challenge from Gordon Elliott, who has five entries in the race, including Romeo Coolio, who finished second in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in March and who was impressive in winning his maiden hurdle on his hurdling debut at Down Royal, and Bleu De Vassy, winner of his bumper at Clonmel in April, who won his maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse last month by 25 lengths.

Punchestown maiden hurdle winner Mywayofthinkin, a half-brother to Inothewayurthinkin and Ilikedwayurthinkin and Limerick Lace and trained, like them, by Gavin Cromwell, who sent out My Mate Mozzie to win the For Auction Hurdle in 2021, is another interesting entrant in Saturday’s race, the first graded race of the Navan Racing Festival.

Winter favourite

Barney O’Hare, CEO of Bar One Racing, said: “The Bar One Racing Troytown is a winter favourite for National Hunt fans, and year on year attracts on ultra-competitive field contested by the elite of Irish racing. The entries feature a nice balance of proven handicappers, but also includes some lesser exposed possibly well-handicapped horses.

“We are proud to be the lead sponsor at Ireland’s fastest growing festival. We look forward to what should be a top-class weekend of racing and delivering superb offers to our customers both across our retail estate and through our online channels.”

Ciaran Flynn, Navan Racecourse Manager, commented: “We are really looking forward to year two of the Navan Racing Festival with an exciting weekend of racing and live entertainment in store. Bar One Racing’s Barney O’Hare is the fixture’s biggest supporter and I’m delighted for him that the entries for the Troytown Chase are so strong.

“The weekend brings together many of our feature races of the season including the Bar One Racing Fortria Chase (Grade 2), The Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle (Grade 2), the John Lynch Carpets And Flooring Monksfield Novice Hurdle (Grade 3) and the Bar One Racing For Auction Novice Hurdle (Grade 3) and we can’t wait to welcome racegoers to the track for a great sporting and social weekend.”