New Co is on target for a repeat win in the £105,000 Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on December 27th after returning to form in the Mince Pie Handicap Chase at Navan on Saturday.
The nine-year-old has been disappointing since landing this Navan race 12 months ago en route to capturing the valuable Christmas event. However, Conor O'Dwyer's mount led three out for a cosy six-length win from Native Status and Paddy Power's reacted by slashing the Mouse Morris-trained gelding from 20 to 1 to 10 to 1 for their race.
Eton Gale could also be in action at the Foxrock venue over the festive period after scoring on the second successive Saturday in the Navan EBF Novice Chase. The Strong Gale gelding jumped well in the hands of Kieran Gaule, making all to beat Balawhar by nine lengths.
Collon Leader provided Trim handler John Larkin with his biggest success when taking the featured Christmas Pudding Handicap Hurdle. Willie Slattery gave the mare a tremendous ride to hold Regency Rake by a neck, although the stewards were not impressed by his forceful tactics and gave him a six-day ban (December 22nd-27th) for using his whip with excessive frequency.
Ted Walsh has his string in tremendous form at present and Rince Ri continued the good work when making a winning debut in the Carol Maiden Hurdle. The son of Orchestra kept on gamely in the straight to deny the favourite Rodrigo, who held every chance before the last, by seven lengths, the pair pulling a distance clear of the remainder. The Francis Flood stable is also enjoying a good run and Lady Of Grange recorded her third win of the season under Francis Jnr in the Roast Turkey Handicap Hurdle. The mare held on to beat Noels Dancer by two lengths, with The Grey Mare finishing best of all in third.
Barry Geraghty was lucky to escape serious injury after being unseated four out from Clady Boy in this race. The talented claimer was in the middle of the 23-runner field when coming down, and was detained overnight in Navan hospital having been unconscious for a while. Geraghty was stood down for a mandatory 21 days by Turf Club doctor Walter Halley, and will now miss the busy Christmas period.
Jump jockey Brian Harding is set to return from the wilderness at Musselburgh tomorrow. He has been booked to ride Circulation for Ginger McCain in the Hole Across Handicap Chase.Gordon Richards' up-and-coming conditional has been forced to sit on the sidelines for a year after sustaining head injuries in a fall from Show Your Hand at Newcastle.A mandatory period of 12 months off was imposed by the Jockey Club because Harding was thought to have suffered an epileptic fit as a result of the fall.
