Paul Townend: My Saturday rides at Navan

Paul Townend heads to Navan on Saturday, check out his thoughts on his runners below.

Before we get too excited with all things Cheltenham, though, I head to Navan on Saturday for four rides, and it would be nice to pick up another winner or two along the way.

We start with Moulin Labbe in the first race on the card (13:18), and I thought he ran ok in a maiden hurdle at Naas last time on his first start for us. He made a mistake at the three out, then made up a lot of ground quickly before weakening from two out, so I'd say he's entitled to come on plenty for that run. I know he was beaten a fair distance in the end, but I think he's better than that, and with that experience under his belt, I'd be hopeful he'll go well in what doesn't look the strongest of races. 

I then ride Hens Tooth later in the card (15:00), and I'm not really sure what to expect from him, to be totally honest. He won a bumper for us at Limerick on heavy ground back in 2023, but he never kicked on from that, and he's been very disappointing since then. He improved a little here last time when tackling this trip for the first time, so hopefully he can find some further improvement this weekend, but he will have to take a big step forward, I think.

Port Joulain finally put it all together last time, I thought, and I'm looking forward to riding him in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase (15:35). He was taking a huge step back in trip last time, and he jumped brilliantly, and actually really surprised me with the turn of foot he showed to beat Karoline Banbou that day. Jacob's Ladder looks like the one we'll all have to beat with a fairly flashy rating of 151 next to his name, but some form lines don't leave us a million miles off him, so with a bit more improvement hopefully to come, I think Port Joulain could run another big race this weekend.

Saint Sam is our final runner on the day in the Grade 2 Webster Cup (16:08), and he'd want to leave that run in the Peterborough Chase last time well behind now. He didn't raise a gallop at Huntingdon for whatever reason, but he's had a bit of time off since, and he seems in much better form at home now. Coming here a fresh horse compared to say Found A Fifty, who's been kept busy, might just help us, and he only narrowly beat us at Fairyhouse back in April, so I'd say coming here the fresher horse would give us a decent chance of reversing the form. Saint Sam will be fine on the ground, so as long as he leaves that Huntingdon run well behind him, I think he goes there with a solid chance. 

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