Boyne Hurdle: Timeform preview and free Race Pass
The Boyne Hurdle (14:40) at Navan on Sunday is available as a free Race Pass, which means logged-in customers can view all our premium comments and ratings.
Navan’s Boyne Hurdle (14:40) over 2m5f features some Cheltenham Festival entries among the nine runners bidding to join some famous names who have won this in the past including Limestone Lad, War of Attrition and Tiger Roll.
It’s ten years since Willie Mullins was last successful with future Gold Cup runner-up On His Own but the ‘Hot Trainer’ has leading claims this time with Stayers’ Hurdle entry Saint Sam (170). He had rather mixed fortunes over fences last term but had finished runner-up in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham as a juvenile hurdler and made a successful return to the smaller obstacles at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve when making all in a well-contested minor event to beat leading Grand National contender Any Second Now by six and a half lengths. That’s not the easiest form to assess but it looks a match for his smart form over fences and makes him the one to beat at the weights here.
Meet And Greet (169) only has a maiden hurdle success to his name for Oliver McKiernan but has excelled himself at long odds in a couple of tries over three miles since, finishing third in the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at last year’s Punchestown Festival and filling the same position behind Home By The Lee and Ashdale Bob in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown. While this is a shorter trip, it will at least suit him better than the two miles of the Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas that he contested last time.
Hot Trainer Gordon Elliott won this four years running from 2017 to 2020 and his three runners are headed by Delta Work (157+) who’s using this race as preparation for the Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham as Tiger Roll used to do. Delta Work denied his stablemate a fourth win in that contest at the Festival last March before running well to finish third in the Grand National. He returned with a cross-country win at Punchestown in November before an encouraging third under a big weight back at Cheltenham on handicap terms last time, and while it’s a long time since Delta Work ran over hurdles and this trip will be on the short side for him, he’s at least in better heart than quite a few of these and seems sure to be staying on at the end.
Stayers’ Hurdle entry Blazing Khal (163p) is an interesting runner on his return from a lengthy absence for Charles Byrnes. After winning the last of his bumpers, he progressed well to win all three of his novice hurdles in late-2021, with the last two of those wins coming when beating Gelino Bello in Grade 2 contests at Cheltenham. He’d looked a Festival contender that season and while an injury has kept him off the track since, he has the most progressive profile in this line-up.
Elliott’s other two runners are Grand Roi (163) and Sire du Berlais (159?). The latter has a stiff task under his Grade 1 penalty for beating Flooring Porter in the Liverpool Hurdle last spring and has yet to fire this season, running a moody race when pulled up in the Christmas Hurdle last time. Grand Roi, who was fourth in this race last year, is a smart hurdler on his day but has question marks about him too after failing to complete on his last two starts over fences.
Noel Meade has won the last two Boyne Hurdles, including with Beacon Edge (?) in 2021 who went on to shape well when fourth in the Stayers’ Hurdle in which he’s entered again. He won the Grade 1 Drinmore Novices’ Chase last season but has completely lost his form since, including back over hurdles the last twice. Stablemate Highland Charge (157) was a useful novice over hurdles last term but after showing some ability on his chasing debut at Fairyhouse when a remote third to El Fabiolo he shaped as though possibly amiss last time.
The field is completed by Dreal Deal (157) who had useful form as a novice for Ronan McNally but hasn’t run over hurdles since being well beaten in this race last year. However, he’s been running well on the all-weather this winter, winning at Dundalk in December and finishing third at Southwell last month.
Timeform Analyst’s Verdict:
Saint Sam remains with unfinished business over hurdles and is fancied to follow up his victory at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve. Meet And Greet is a danger and Delta Work should give another good account.
Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings:
170 Saint Sam
169 Meet And Greet
163p Blazing Khal
163 Grand Roi
159? Sire du Berlais
157+ Delta Work
157 Dreal Deal
157 Highland Charge
? Beacon Edge
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