Navan Racing Festival: five horses to follow this weekend

Danny Archer looks ahead to the first-ever Navan Racing Festival and picks out five names to note ahead of all the action. Enjoy every moment this weekend live on Racing TV.

The inaugural Navan Racing Festival takes place this weekend with a host of top-class action to enjoy at the track.

The festival will feature the historic Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase along with multiple graded action, including the Lismullen Hurdle and the Monksfield Novice Hurdle.

We’ve picked out five stars who are set to line-up at the meeting.

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Douvan, Vautour and Footpad all made successful chasing debuts at Navan before going on to enjoy Cheltenham Festival glory and four-time Grade One scorer Facile Vega is one of the most exciting names in action over the weekend.

Second in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, he bounced back to his best when landing top-level honours at the Punchestown Festival.

Fences will be a different test for this free-going sort, but they could just be the making of him.

Another hugely exciting prospect over fences for Willie Mullins, he has the size and scope of a chaser and oozed class when landing a first Grade One triumph at the Punchestown Festival when stepped up to three miles over timber when last seen.

He is doubly entered at Navan, but looks most likely to take up an option over two and a half miles.

Incredible winner of the Lismullen Hurdle 12 months ago having raced lazily throughout before making strong headway in the closing stages, he followed up in Grade One company at Leopardstown over Christmas and did shape with promise when fifth in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

He looks a horse who goes best fresh and, whilst his Stayers’ Hurdle conqueror Sire Du Berlais and Zanahiyr both command respect, he revels in heavy ground and should go close on his seasonal return.

The €100,000 Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase is the highlight of the meeting and the unexposed Macs Charm commands plenty of respect.

He has only run four times over hurdles and impressed at Fairyhouse stepped up to three miles over fences for the first time on his final start of last term.

A mark of 143 remains workable and, given his liking for testing ground, he could be open to more improvement here.

The five-year-old and £400,000 purchase was deeply impressive on hurdling debut at Clonmel last time on heavy ground, pulling clear to record a facile success over two miles.

Entered over both two miles and two and a half miles this weekend, Elliott has a fine record in both events with 10 wins across the two since 2014 and he looks open to untold improvement going forward.