RACING Navan report: Gale force winds briefly threatened racing at Navan yesterday, but even the extreme elements couldn't halt Watson Lake's spectacular surge to the front of the Arkle Trophy betting for Cheltenham.
The Noel Meade-trained horse had been on the sidelines for over two months and took on the favourite, Ulaan Baatar, on the back of just two pieces of work. But those factors proved irrelevant to a 20-length success in the Flyingbolt Chase.
Scarthy Lad's fall at the second turned the race into an effective two-horse match, only for a mistake by Ulaan Baatar at the third last to scupper any notion of competition.
"My only problem was keeping him straight because the wind was blowing so hard," reported Watson Lake's partner, Paul Carberry, while Ulaan Baatar's jockey, Barry Geraghty, said: "He emptied like a light!"
Bookmaker reaction was to dramatically cut Watson Lake's festival odds. Boylesports make him a 6 to 1 second favourite behind War Of Attrition. If Watson Lake can remain calm at Cheltenham those are odds that Meade might like.
"If we get him there right and relaxed like today then he is a serious horse," said the trainer. "After he won the Drinmore we found a muscle problem in hindquarters and a lot of work has gone into strengthening that area up."
The first race was delayed by 12 minutes after the wind blew a tree down on to the ambulance track, and there was considerable doubt about racing going ahead until Lotomore Lad's win in the handicap chase.
"The wind is not so bad down the back, but up the straight and round the top is very bad," reported Conor O'Dwyer after that race.
Tom Taaffe was happy the action continued, as Emotional Moment booked his place for Cheltenham's Ladbrokes World Hurdle with an easy defeat of Yogi. The winner's main danger, Solerina, fell at the sixth, and while she was unscathed her jockey, Gary Hutchinson, was stood down for two days because of minor concussion.
"We will go to Cheltenham with a sporting chance of being in the first three and Emotional Moment was not exactly fully wound up today," Taaffe said.
The four-mile National Hunt Chase is Point Barrow's Cheltenham option after defying topweight in the Ten Up Chase from Mullacash. The Thyestes winner Numbersixvalverde looked an unlucky loser in third after recovering well from a bad mistake at the fifth last, but Point Barrow stayed on stoutly up the run-in for a confident Joey Elliot.
The Meade-Carberry team also hit the mark with Afistfullofdollars, who outpointed Lost Time on the run-in of the maiden hurdle.
Travino was cut to 10 to 1 for the Bumper at Cheltenham after making it three from three this season in the last. However, he received only a "maybe" from trainer Mags Mullins when asked if the horse would run at the festival.
