Gordon Elliott is targeting transatlantic ‘National’ glory this weekend as he sends his high-class chaser Galvin to New Jersey on Saturday night for the $250,000 (€230,000) American Grand National.
Champion jockey Jack Kennedy travels to the Far Hills track for the mount on Galvin in a bid to emulate Shark Hanlon’s Hewick who won the contest two years ago.
Elliott landed the race himself with Jury Duty in 2018, and the Co Meath trainer has two other runners, Set Point and Familiar Dreams, on the Far Hills undercard.
It will be a first start for Galvin since he finished fourth behind I Am Maximus in the most famous National of all at Aintree in April.
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Elliott and Kennedy were out of luck with Salvador Ziggy in last year’s US National but combined to win three races elsewhere on the card.
Kennedy won’t be lingering in Far Hills as he’s at Limerick on Sunday for the featured €100,000 Boylesports JT McNamara Munster National.
He has opted for the course and distance winner Favori De Champdou from Elliott’s five-strong team in a race the trainer first won with the ultimate modern National star, Tiger Roll, in 2016.
Elliott is pursuing a fourth win in the race in all, although his great rival Willie Mullins also has a leading player in the Kerry National runner-up Horantzau D’airy.
Sunday’s Limerick finale has Kennedy teaming up with last season’s Royal Bond winner Farren Glory who makes his debut over fences.
There could hardly be a bigger contrast between grizzled National Hunt performers and Saturday’s all-two-year-old Leopardstown programme.
A pair of Group Three events includes the Killavullan Stakes won in 2020 by the subsequent 2000 Guineas hero Poetic Flare.
Aidan O’Brien won it with a filly, Coral Beach, six years ago and will be strongly fancied to do so again through Exactly. Third against her own sex in both the Boussac and the Moyglare, a 110 rating makes a convincing argument for her dealing with the colts.
The nine-furlong Eyrefield is a trappy-looking contest although Dylan Browne McMonagle’s decision to opt for the Cork winner Wemightakedlongway is hard to ignore.
A meeting crammed with maidens and potential stars for 2025 will have no more fascinating newcomer than Takemetothemoon. She is a half-sister to City Of Troy who makes her debut over seven furlongs.
Sunday’s Leopardstown action has a pair of Listed contests including the Knockaire Stakes which wouldn’t have been on Atlantic Coast’s radar when he won last year’s Killavullan.
It has been an underwhelming subsequent three-year-old campaign for the colt overall but once he encountered soft conditions again at Saint-Cloud a fortnight ago he did land a Listed contest.
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