Bar One Racing Troytown Chase: five for the shortlist
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Tom Thurgood

Bar One Racing Troytown Chase: five for the shortlist

By Tom Thurgood
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
The €100,000 Bar One Racing Troytown Chase is the highlight of the inaugural Navan Racing Festival this weekend. Here, Tom Thurgood pinpoints five runners who warrant a second look in the big race of the year at the Co Meath track.

GEVREY

Trainer: Gordon Elliott Odds: 10-1
(Pic: Focusonracing)
The Big Dog did the Munster National and Troytown double last season and there’s just a chance that Gevrey might be able to follow up after success in the big race at Limerick last time.
He ran a cracker for second in the Irish Grand National back in the spring – just headed late on by I Am Maximus – and this strong stayer who acts on bad ground did well to win last time given the Limerick feature was something of a dash for home. He travelled smoothly at the head of a quickening pace too, and while Ricky Doyle gave him a few flicks after the last the rider was not too animated in the saddle at all and the seven-year-old won with a degree of authority; indeed, he was a fairly commanding winner at the line given the field was well bunched up turning for home.
He's still fairly unexposed over three miles (five starts at the trip from 32 runs under Rules) and it’s feasible he is just an improved model now while additionally boasting a likeable profile for this assignment.
The 8lb rise is the niggle here in deeper company, but he did win with a bit up his sleeve at Limerick and, in the expectation that this test should suit better, he still look weighted to have a fairly big say.

LARGY DEBUT

Trainer: Henry de Bromhead Odds: 8-1
The Munster National could potentially prove the key formline here and Largy Debut - runner-up at Limerick - is a shorter price than Gevrey here. That doesn't seem quite right but he's certainly interesting from a handicapping perspective.
Too keen in his novice chase campaign and subsequently prone to early mistakes, he has finished within hailing distance of some very good horses – the ill-fated Mighty Potter, Irish National scorer I Am Maximus and Grade One runner-up Minella Crooner – while things certainly weren't easier against the likes of Sir Gerhard and Gentlemansgame in that first season over fences.
His overall form suggests he has a decent prize in him off this rating, while his five-length conqueror on his penultimate start at Gowran, Letsbeclearaboutit, has since bolted up in Grade Three company and is seemingly set for the Drinmore next according to this trainer.
Largy Debut shaped well in the Munster National last time, jumping a bit deliberately but mostly OK from off the pace, and he made nice ground in a relative dash for home to take second. He's gone up just 2lb in the weights while Gevrey was given an 8lb rise.
He's unexposed over three miles, but he has to prove his liking for a more testing three miles at Navan on heavy ground and the way trheavels and jumps suggests he may want a decent test at a distance a bit shy of this trip. He has a decent race in him off this mark but he just have a few things to prove here, even if he's interesting from his rating.

RUN WILD FRED

Trainer: Gordon Elliott Odds: 20-1
Run Wild Fred after success in this race two years ago (Photo: Morgan Tracey/INPHO)
He's clearly not the likeliest winner here but he might just run better than his odds suggest.
While he trotted up in this race two years ago when a well-backed favourite from a mark of 145, he has proven hard to place from a stone higher in the handicap since and, with his best days behind him, he’s back to try his luck again in a race which hasn’t proven fruitful for repeat bids this century (2 from 73, -£53.5, 0.4 A/E).
However, the place strike-rate of 18 per cent of such runners isn’t too bad and the profile of such runners running for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown are more attractive still and in a race in which big-priced runners have hit the frame in recent years (33-1, 66-1, 40-1 and 50-1 in each of the last four years).
Run Wild Fred could spring a surprise this year after shaping quite well in the Munster National at Limerick - that race again - last time after a year off the track. The field looked to totter around on heavy ground and he travelled eye-catchingly into contention approaching the end of the back straight yet the relative injection of pace late on was never going to be his thing. That said, he stayed on all the way to the line in a pleasing reappearance in the circumstances and he is an assured stayer here on heavy ground that we know he handles.

THEDEVILSCOACHMAN

Trainer: Noel Meade Odds: 7-1
(Pic: Healy Racing)
There are several very lightly-raced chasers at short prices entered here who are not certain to relish this testing three miles on the current evidence, and Thedevilscoachman conequently looks the most compelling of the runners towards the head of the market.
A winner of four of his six starts over fences, he’s twice a winner from two runs at this track and he shaped better than the result in the Irish Grand National last time, travelling particularly powerfully for the majority of the final circuit before hitting a proverbial wall after the second-last and fading very quickly over that 3m5f trip on heavy ground. The big race at Fairyhouse was one in which few of the 27-runner field got in to, with only six finishing and no less than 18 being pulled up.
Off the same mark of 147 for this seasonal reappearance, he will get this trip and handle this ground and he certainly looks one of the likelier candidates for win purposes from the right end of the handicap – this century, runners rated 145 or higher in this are five from 27 with five more placed (+£21, 1.69 A/E).

DUNBOYNE

Trainer: Gordon Elliott Odds: 20-1
One of 17 currently engaged in the race trained by Gordon Elliott, he would be one of the bigger-priced contenders from that yard but he has compelling handicap form courtesy of his very narrow second in the Thyestes Chase behind Carefully Selected last January and he races from 5lb higher now and back at a more suitable test.
He ran OK for fourth when just 8-1 for the Kim Muir at Cheltenham subsequently while he never figured form out the back last time and at a big price in the Grand National at Aintree, though dropping back to a testing three miles here on ground that he genuinely relishes (210122 on ground with ‘heavy’ in the description under Rules) makes him of some appeal here given these conditions look more conducive of a bounce back to form.
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