Navan report: Oscars Brother 8-1 for Brown Advisory after Ten Up rout
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Sun 8 Feb 2026
Oscars Brother opened up a whole range of options with another dominant display in the William Hill Racing Bet Builder Ten Up Novice Chase.
Trained by Connor King and ridden by his brother Daniel, he was racing for the first time in the famous JP McManus silks having been bought after winning the Florida Pearl Novice Chase last time out.
Sent off the 6-4 favourite, he was sent into an early lead and never saw any of his three rivals, opening up a wide margin by halfway before being given a breather.
The most impressive part of his performance was the way he quickened up between the final two fences to stroll to a six-length win over The Wallpark.
He was cut to 8-1 from 12-1 for the Brown Advisory Novices Chase at Cheltenham by Paddy Power, while he also holds an entry for the Grand National later in the season.
King only trains two horses and said: “It was a brilliant performance. Nice to get it out of the way anyway.
“He loved the ground, he had the ears pricked the whole way. It looked like he could have gone around again.
“He’s a very easy horse to ride, I just leave it up to Dan. He just likes to do his own thing there but, if someone wanted to give us a lead, we would be happy enough.
“He seems to be taking it (racing) well and improving. He jumped great there.”
When asked if he will go to the Brown Advisory, he replied: “I’m not sure. After the last day, we kind of had this race pencilled in. I suppose we can make more plans now.
“He’s a horse that takes his racing well, so we will see how he is during the week and go from there.
“The timing of it (Brown Advisory) would be good.
“We’ve always liked the horse and he keeps improving, so you never know where he could end up.
“We did the Grand National entry last week, so he would obviously need one more run. We still have time on our side.”
Staffordshire Knot digs deep
Staffordshire Knot showed a different side to his character to provide Gordon Elliott with a record sixth win in the William Hill Boyne Hurdle at Navan.
Elliott fielded three of the six runners and with Better Days Ahead and last year’s winner Maxxum filling the places, the Cullentra handler dominated the Grade Two.
No trainer has now won the race as much as Elliott and with names like Trapper John, Dorans Pride, Limestone Lad and Tiger Roll on the roll of honour, it holds an affectionate place in Irish racing.
Staffordshire Knot had struggled to live up to his €510,000 price tag until this season but easy wins at Punchestown and Clonmel followed by a big run in defeat in the Galmoy Hurdle have seen him turn a new leaf.
He looked beaten going down to the second last with Maxxum seemingly set for a repeat win. But in testing conditions, Jack Kennedy guided the 11-10 favourite to a two-and-a-half-length success over his two stablemates.
“It is a lucky race for us. Navan is a great track and we love it here. It’s great to win it again,” said Elliott.
“I thought it was a good performance by Staffordshire Knot and he had fitness on his side.
“We couldn’t get him to finish races last year but this year he has just turned the corner. Even looking at him, he is a different horse. We’re very happy with his run.
“He’s qualified for the Pertemps in Cheltenham, so he could end up somewhere like that. We’ll see as there are Grade Twos and Grade Threes around Ireland that he could pick up a cheque in every day.”
As for his other runners, Elliott said: “I thought Better Days Ahead ran a very good race, it was his first run in nine months. We’ll be looking at something like the Irish National for him – we’re very, very happy with him.
“He’s entered in the Aintree Grand National, so we’ll see what we do. He just might not have enough experience for that this year.
“Maxxum, again on the ground, ran a great race. I call him my little slot machine as every time he runs he picks up a cheque but he’s quite hard to place these days.”
Zanoosh zooms home
Zanoosh ran out a very convincing winner of the Ryan’s Cleaning Apple’s Jade Mares Novice Hurdle at Navan, with her trainer Colm Murphy beginning to get “excited” regarding her future.
Having won her previous two outings at Punchestown and over the same course and distance she faced in this Listed contest, Zanoosh was sent off the 8-13 favourite under Brian Hayes.
Murphy, of course, is no stranger to big race glory having trained the likes of Brave Inca, Big Zeb and Voler La Vedette and Zanoosh was cut to 25-1 from 40s by Paddy Power for the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham.
“She’s on the upward curve, she keeps improving. She definitely has improved from the last day, stepping up from handicaps. I’m delighted with her,” said Murphy.
“She probably handles the ground really well as well.
“We would have been disappointed if she hadn’t gone and done it well. She had to do it without getting a hard race if you are to consider any graded races. She’s starting to get me excited.”
When asked about her Grade One Albert Bartlett entry, he replied: “It’s a dreamer’s option you might say.
“We gave it (entry) to her after winning here the last day when they were closing.
“It is an option – she has gone on nice ground before. The step up to three miles on nice ground could be what she wants.
“We’ll see how she is after, we will have loads of options with her. There’s also a race in Limerick the same day (Cheltenham week), so we’ll see. She deserves her entry anyway.
“Whenever we step her up to three miles, I have no doubt she is going to improve again. We are in no panic to though when she keeps doing that over two and a-half. We seem to be going the right way with her.”
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