GAVIN CROMWELL: Seven runners for Brand Ambassador Gavin Cromwell to preview this weekend, including Vintage Prosecco who Gavin feels has a good chance.
Navan Saturday
Hopefully Navan goes ahead on Saturday because we’ve got a few nice chances at our local track. We kick off with Western Run in the rated novice hurdle (12.50pm), who has to shoulder top-weight. He was fifth the last day in the Grade B handicap hurdle behind Jukebox Jive and probably has a bit on his plate here with a few handy types, including Thedevilscoachman who was fifth in a Grade 1 the last day. We’ll give it a good go, though, and we’d be delighted if he ran well here.
Next up are Jukebox Jive and Wolf Prince in the Grade B handicap hurdle (1.57pm). Jukebox Jive was obviously a good winner of a similar race two starts ago and for whatever reason things just didn’t go to plan at Leopardstown the last day. He’ll love the ground and if he can repeat the run of that win two starts back, he’d have to have a chance, especially with Conor McNamara taking off five pounds. He’s been a great servant for us already and certainty owes nothing.
We’re looking forward to running Wolf Prince in this. We’re stepping him up in trip to two and a half for the first time which we’re hopeful will suit. He was left with a bit too much to do the last day, but plugged on gamely, so we don’t envisage the extra distance being too much of a problem. If he does see it out, he looks on a mark that is certainly workable and we’re quietly confident he’ll run a big race.
Ensel Du Perche takes his chance in the handicap hurdle (2.32pm). He had a bit of a disaster the last day at Punchestown having fallen at the first and we’re going back over hurdles here. He’ll most certainly come on from whatever he does here, but he’s in good form at home.
Thurles Sunday
On Sunday we run Peaches And Cream in the handicap chase (2.30pm). He doesn’t like the ground too testing which is a bit of a concern, though he did win his beginners’ chase at Wexford. He’s been going well at home and providing the ground isn’t too bad, he’d have a small each-way chance.
It’s then the turn of Vintage Prosecco in the maiden hurdle (3.30pm) and we’d be pretty hopeful with him. He was beaten on his first start over hurdles which we were disappointed about, but on the face of it that might turn out to be handy form. He finished 20 lengths ahead of the third and he’ll be the better for that run here. We like him a lot and with any luck he can get his head in front this time around.
Our final runner is Yafordadoe in the handicap hurdle (4.00pm). We’ve been running him pretty regularly recently because he takes his racing in so well and while he’s quite exposed, this doesn’t look too strong a race. We’ll take our chance and see how he goes, but we’d be chuffed if he could run into a place.
