GordonElliott

12:05 - Beef To The Heels

It wasn't a bad run the last day behind Boston Bob in a maiden hurdle at Navan and, obviously, the winner went on to beat us (Mount Benbulben) in the Grade 1 novices' race at the track on Sunday. Our fella probably has it all to do with Willie Mullins' horse (Felix Yonger) today but he certainly has place claims.


13:05 - St Killian's Run

St Killian's Run looks to have a good chance today. He's been a really consistent sort for us and always runs a good race. It's an apprentice riders' race so Daniel Benson will ride him (taking four pounds off) and he'll take his time on him today. I'd be hopeful that he won't be far away.


14:05 - Mae's Choice

Mae's Choice won her point to point at Lingstown and makes her debut on the track today. She's not the quickest so Paul (Carberry), who rides her today, will make plenty of use of her. It doesn't look the strongest of races and so she also has a chance of finishing in the places.


14:40 - Al Dafa

Al Dafa makes his chasing debut today and he jumps very well at home. If you could ignore his run at Punchestown the last day and go back to his Navan run, where he finished third behind Down Under, he'd have a real chance in this race. But he's a real monkey and I'm hoping that the switch to fences might light him up a bit.


15:15 - Rathmoyle House

This is a very competitive hunters' chase and he might need a bit of luck. He's still only a five-year-old and will probably find a few of these too good. He's a horse that should win a few races in the spring so we're just hoping for a clear round and a good showing.


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12:35 Gowran Park

Musawama

Musawama is my only runner this afternoon and he goes in the opening juvenile hurdle. Really, today's race is just about confidence for him as he showed his inexperience when beaten a long way on his debut at Cork. He made mistakes at the first few hurdles and Paul (Townend) had to just school him around after that. He's not a bad horse - he was twice a winner on the all-weather earlier in the year for John Gosden - but we need to build his confidence and I'll be happy with a good round of jumping and a decent showing.

13:35 Navan, Sunday

Mount Benbulben

Mount Benbulben runs in the Grade 1 Navan Novices' Hurdle on Sunday. He worked well on Tuesday and is in great form so it's all systems go. He's a course and distance winner (when winning the Grade 2 Monksfield Hurdle last month under Davy Condon) so I have no concerns in that regard.

There are only four runners entered but our fella is straightforward and if no-one else is going to make the running, he can do it. Paul Carberry, who rode him to win his maiden hurdle at Thurles, will be back on board.

Boston Bob is the least exposed horse in the race and he looks the one we all have to beat. He couldn't have won any easier when making his debut for Willie (Mullins), but Mount Benbulben is in great form and I'm looking forward to it.

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21:00 Dundalk

Alubari
Alubari looks to be my best chance of a winner today. He was a winner on the flat at Wolverhampton for David Simcock back in December of last year, and he made his debut for us at that same track a fortnight ago. He ran a good race that day, finishing well to take third place. Pat Smullen will be on top tonight and he'll ride him from mid-division, and hopefully he can come late to get into the prizemoney.

Szabo's Destiny
He's a relatively new recruit to the team and we're still learning with him but he ran a promising race over hurdles at Navan a couple of weeks ago. Today's race will be his first on the flat for us, although he won twice on the level for James Given earlier in the year and has experience on the all-weather from his two-year-old days. He stays the trip well and Michael Hussey will be on board. He raced prominently for his previous trainers and we might try that with him again.

13:25 Southwell

The Ice Factor
I can't get The Ice Factor into Dundalk so I've entered him in Southwell. He was twice a winner over hurdles already this year but he reverts to the flat this afternoon. He stays two miles well over hurdles so the trip shouldn't be a problem. He's no superstar but this is a bad race and he should go well for Liam Keniry.

19:10 Wolverhampton

Priors Gold

He won his maiden at Wolverhampton a couple of weeks ago and we turned him out again quickly, where he was able to run with just a six-pound penalty. However, he only finished second that day and is two pounds higher again this afternoon. Tommy Queally, who rode him to win his maiden, is on him again and the drop back to a mile and a half shouldn't be a problem. He's still in good form but he faces a tough task off his new mark in what is a better race.

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12:35, 2m Maiden Hurdle
Experimentalist
I have two runners in the opening maiden hurdle and Experimentalist is the one with the experience over the obstacles and he should run well. He didn't run a bad race in good company (behind One Cool Shabra) last time but didn't jump as well as we thought he would. Because of that, we've done a good bit of schooling with him since and I'm happy with him now. Davy (Condon), who rode him the last day, will be on board again, and he'll take his time on him. This is his fourth run over hurdles so I'm hoping that he can go close.

Iconic Sway
Iconic Sway has been well beaten on her three starts on the all-weather this season and she's making her hurdling debut here. She schools very well at home but the heavy ground is a big worry for her. We'll just take our time with her and see how she goes. It's a learning experience and we'll know more after today. Daniel Benson, who claims seven, will ride her.

13:05, 2m4f Maiden Hurdle
Wee Doll
She started off in a bumper for us last year, where she was a well-beaten fifth, but she won her point to point at Taylorstown in October. She was never able to get competitive on her hurdling debut at Galway a couple of weeks later but she ran a good race at Wexford last time. She seemed to handle the ground well that day and the step up to two and a half miles for today's race should be in her favour. She's in very good form at home and Paul (Carberry) takes the mount. He'll ride her in mid-division and she should be staying on strongly to the finish. She has real each-way claims.

14:35, 2m4f Beginners Chase
The Shepherd
The Shepherd makes his chasing debut today. He's a lovely horse but this is his first run in a long time. He was progressive over hurdles last season, when he was placed a number of times before winning here at Clonmel in October and at Leopardstown in November.

He pulled a muscle in the Pertemps Hurdle at Leopardstown in January and has been off since. As this is his first run back, we're looking for a clear round and a good showing. If we get that, we'll know where we're going with him for the remainder of the season.

Last season's wins both came over three miles, but two and a half miles plus is fine for him. He has good course form (won and finished second from two starts here) and the ground is not a problem. Joey, my brother, will take the mount. He has ridden him a number of times in the past and actually won his maiden hurdle on him at Downpatrick a couple of years ago.

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To kick off my new Betfair blog, here's an update on some of the big names in our yard.

Jessies Dream:

He's back in full work and in very good form. He'll probably only have one run (in January) before the Cheltenham Gold Cup. I'm not sure where it's going to be just yet, or whether it'll be over hurdles or fences but he'll go to Cheltenham and then back to Punchestown.

He ran a really good race in the RSA Chase at last season's Cheltenham Festival, where he might have been a little unlucky as he ran bit keen and he was beaten just a neck. Whether he's Gold Cup class or not, we still have to find out, but he's definitely top class.
Everyone says he's better going right-handed and I'm not going to disagree with them. If he runs well at Cheltenham, then the Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown should be ideal for him.

His owner, David Johnson, is a very good man to have in the yard and it was nice to have a winner for him recently (St Killian's Run).

Don Cossack:

Don Cossack is in very good form right now. He had an easy couple of weeks after his bumper win at Naas and he's now going to be aimed at a Grade 2 Bumper at Navan on December 18.

He's only four and he's very big, so we won't be tempted to go over hurdles with him at all this term. He's a scopey sort and there's a lot of improvement in him with a summer's grass, so he could be a really exciting sort for next year.

Cheltenham won't be on his agenda as his owners, Gigginstown House Stud, don't run their horses in the bumper there, and so he will be aimed at the Rockview Bumper at the Curragh. He could be anything.

Mount Benbulben:

He won very well the last day and has come out of the race really well. He's going for the Grade 2 Monksfield Hurdle at Navan next Sunday, the 27th. I'm very happy with him. It was just a very messy race the first day, when he clipped heels and was brought down.

He came out of it just fine and won that race at Thurles since. I think he's even come on again since that victory.

He jumped well at Thurles, except for missing the third last, and he couldn't have done it any easier. The long term plan is Cheltenham, where I'm thinking more of the staying races. He's a horse that will stay two and a half miles plus, and should get three miles in time.

Paul (Carberry) said he did it really well last time, and it was great to get a bit of confidence into him - and us! It's not nice when something like that (clipping heels at Galway) happens to a horse with his profile.

Chicago Grey

You never stop learning training horses, and I put his below-par run at Cheltenham down to the fact that I probably ran him back too quick after his good effort in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

We're giving him a break and going to freshen him up a bit - he's gone home for a couple of weeks - and we'll bring him back for the Welsh National at Chepstow (December 27), where he should get his ideal conditions.

Cause Of Causes, owned by the Timeform Racing Club:

He's settled in well and looks a fine horse. He's got to be gelded before we go hurdling with him but, all going well, I'd hope that he can make his debut for us sometime in late January or early February.

He had just the one run in France for Pascal Bary, for which he was sent off second favourite behind winner Mourasana, who had previously finished second in a Listed race behind subsequent Prix de l'Arc runner-up Shareta.

He finished sixth of seven that day but he wasn't beaten all that far, and the horse that finished just one place in front of him, Mohawk Chant, was fourth behind subsequent French Derby winner Reliable Man on his previous outing.

The form looks pretty good and, as I said, I don't know a lot about him yet but he looks the right type for this game and I'm really looking forward to getting going with him.

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