Navan preview: Reaching High seeking further royal riches
Reaching High will aim to improve his hurdling record to two wins from three outings at Navan on Sunday before potentially being put away for a spring campaign.
The five-year-old Flat convert, owned by the King and Queen and trained by Willie Mullins, got his hurdling career up and running at the second time of asking with a bloodless victory at Listowel, a first for the royal silks in Ireland since the 1970s.
He was impressive in winning by 10 lengths win from subsequent winner Zambezi Moon, and jockey Paul Townend is hoping he can handle the rise in grade ahead of the Grade Three John Lynch Carpets & Flooring Monksfield Novice Hurdle.
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In his Betway blog, Townend said: “He’s a horse that will really enjoy the forecast good ground this weekend. He bounced back from defeat at Killarney with a bloodless victory at Listowel last month, but he’ll have to improve again in this better company I suspect.
“He was a good horse on the Flat, but he seems to have taken to hurdling well because he always feels like he’s looking for the next jump when you’re on him. You never know how these nice recruits from the Flat are going to adapt, but he does seem to enjoy the job.
“A nice big track like Navan should suit him too, so it would be nice to get another victory under his belt because he probably won’t be one for the depths of winter as he prefers a bit of nice ground.”
Townend highlighted the Gordon Elliott-trained With Nolimit as the biggest danger after the latter downed Cheltenham Champion Bumper winner The Mourne Rambler at Punchestown in April.
“With Nolimit is a horse of Gordon’s I’d have huge respect for. I’d imagine he’ll be one of the top novice hurdlers this season, so while I really like Reaching High, I’d imagine Gordon’s horse is the one we’re all going to have to beat,” said Townend.
Elliott also looks the man to beat in the BAR 1 Betting Troytown Handicap Chase with nine of the 18 runners.
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