Alan Marron has picked out eight horses who could make their mark at Navan on Thursday.
Thursday’s Navan Tips
- 13:44 Howlin Wolf
- 14:14 Jon Riggens
- 14:44 Better Yet
- 14:14 Jezzie Bea
- 15:44 Go Out
- 16:15 Sherekiya
- 16:49 Love Orchid
- 17:24 Maxwell Smart
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13:44 5f Navan Racecourse Nursery Handicap
Jack Davison has his team in good form and HOWLIN WOLF stepped into nursery company last time to win nicely at the Curragh. He was getting plenty of weight from I Ready and benefited from a very good ride from James Ryan. After the race, connections mentioned that they were looking forward to Birdcatcher at Naas on October 10th. This will be another step in that direction and with normal improvement you would expect a solid run.
Selection: Howlin Wolf
14:14 5f Navan Racing Festival Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now Handicap
Navan is a course that suits course regulars and JON RIGGENS is a two-time course and distance winner who was a recent non-runner at the Curragh. He is four pounds higher than the last winning mark and is a winner off much higher marks in the past, so you could see him being competitive once again. Trainer Eddie Lynam is 1-3 at Navan this season and Jon Riggens will be his only runner at the track on Thursday.
Selection: Jon Riggens
14:44 5f Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden
Shane Foley and Jessica Harrington team up with BETTER YET and a reproduction of the debut run would see him get off the mark on her second run. A drifter in the market from an opening show of single figures in the morning out to double figures by race time. A little outpaced when push came to shove around two furlongs down, but she came home well to snatch third on the line. The stiff finish at Navan would be right up her street.
Selection: Better Yet
15:14 1m Irish Stallion Farms EBF Optional Claiming Maiden
A double could be on the cards for Commonstown Stables when JEZZIE BEA goes to post here. She ran a race full of promise on her debut and then went to Leopardstown to step up on that. Shane Foley reported after the race that she changed her legs a few times and the trainers rep mentioned that she scoped wrong post-race, so the run to finish fourth can be marked up. The form has worked out with the third Sea Of Rain winning since, and the second Star Glory finishing second to the Sheila Lavery-trained Maeda Matsu this week.
Selection: Jezzie Bea
15:44 1m Curragh To Curragh Charity Cycle This Saturday Handicap (DIV I)
The opening handicap for older horses on the card could go to GO OUT for Daniel Murphy and Terry Casey. An eyecatcher last time out, he was a little out of his ground four furlongs down and pushed along three out but stayed on strongly inside the final furlong to finish third in the end. He will go back into handicap company here from a claimer, but the winner Minaun View will reoppose and Go Out will be better off at the weights. The track layout should suit his style of racing and he should be staying on strongly close home.
Selection: Go Out
16:15 1m Curragh To Curragh Charity Cycle This Saturday Handicap (DIV II)
Dermot Weld has his team in good form and SHEREKIYA will look to go two places better than at the Curragh last time out when nabbed close home in a bunched finish. She travelled strongly and quickened up but Comfort Line came down the outside to beat them all. She has only been put up a pound by the handicapper and that will give her a solid chance to reverse the form with the reopposing Comfort Line. This will only be her sixth start and with improvement to come, you would expect her to be involved in the finish.
Selection: Sherekiya
16:49 1m 6f GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap
A very competitive penultimate race on the card and a chance is taken on the Liam Queally-owned LOVE ORCHID to go close for local trainer Noel Meade. This filly has run nine times and only managed to get into the placings on one occasion and that was last time at Tramore. She was running over seven furlongs and a mile, and she got stretched out to 1m4f where she missed the break, was in rear and challenged 100 yards from home, but didn’t reach the winner in the end. She could be a filly that might go over obstacles in time, but the trip here should suit perfectly fine.
Selection: Love Orchid
17:24 1m6f Racing Next At Navan On Saturday September 5th Handicap
The final race of the card could go the way of another local yard as the Tom Mc Court-trained MAXWELL SMART will be looking to continue his consistent run of form. He finished third at Sligo last time in the hands of James Ryan and James will be aboard again. While this horse has never won at Navan, he finished second, third, fourth on two occasions, fifth and sixth, so just needs the victory to complete the set. The only win on this horse’s CV came in September 2025, so this might be the time of the year to catch him.
Selection: Maxwell Smart
Thursday’s Navan Tips
- 13:44 Howlin Wolf
- 14:14 Jon Riggens
- 14:44 Better Yet
- 14:14 Jezzie Bea
- 15:44 Go Out
- 16:15 Sherekiya
- 16:49 Love Orchid
- 17:24 Maxwell Smart
