Flat racings - Sun 29 Apr 2012 (Navan)

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« 2:55 » Navan (IRE) SUN 29 APR 2012 NAVAN CHAIRMAN HANDICAP (3yo+ 47-70) Winner €5,520 Soft To Heavy 5f182y Number of runners: 18 JOUSTER 2pts to win @ 12/1 bog (Boylesports) Jouster is a 4yo gelding by Acclamation related with 2 good horses (Raggle Taggle was a good sprinter who won twice in 11 starts on the turf, lost a Listed at Deauville by a neck and was rated up to 99 and Lisselan Troubador finished 5 times second (once in a Listed( and 3 times third in 20 starts). Jouster made is belated debut in May 2011 and he is still maiden after 13 starts but went close many times (3 seconds and 3 thirds) with his best result when finishing second behind Hisaabaat (multiple Grade 1 winner over hurdles) in a Maiden over 9f at Ballinrobe last August. He was rated up to 77 but finished his 2011 season in September with two poor efforts in handicaps over 7f off 71 so the handicapper is giving him a big chance today off 63. He should appreciate the drop back in trip (his half sister was a very good sprinter), gets a perfect draw today (stall nr.2) and freshened from a long break could go very well with his trainer Andrew Oliver able to saddle a nice winner here at Naas last week with today's jockey C.D. Hayes on board (7 winners for him in this 2012 so far). This looks a quite poor race and the main dangers should be Kanes Pass who won last time out but a 7lb hike could prove to much for her now and Dazzling Pearl represents the top yard of Dermon Weld but showed very little at 2 to rate him as the favourite of this race on his seasonal comeback which is also his handicap debut against older horses.

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Re: Flat racings - Sun 29 Apr 2012 (Navan) « 4:35 » Navan (IRE) SUN 29 APR 2012 FAMILY DAY HANDICAP (3yo 47-70) Winner €5,520 Soft To Heavy 1m2f Number of runners: 23 EQUITY SWAP 4pts to win @ 4/1 bog (Paddy Power and Boylesports) Equity Swap didn't show anything special in his three starts at 2 but this 3yo colt trained by Stack was heavily backed on his seasonal and handicap debut 11 days ago at Dundalk when he faced for the first time the mile and was pretty unlucky finishing only 3rd of 14 after he missed the kick and had to settle in the rear of the bunch to make a good headway too late to catch the first two but still good enough to show his skills and to finish 3rd 3.75L ahead of the 4th. Upped in distance today and off just a 3lb higher mark (54) Equity Swap should go very close here as this looks a very crowded race but with little dangers in it. AP O'Brien-trained Noah Webster, Bolger-trained Asteroid Belt and Oxx-trained and Aga Khan-owned Shamooda should be the main rivals but none of them showed anything special in their previous starts as Noah Webster had two poor races at 2 and his seasonal debut was again very poor (never closer than 14L behind the winner) so even if his opening handicap mark is just 50 and he comes from such a big stable this son of Galileo has a lot to prove while Asteroid Belt made already is handicap debut one month ago at Leopardstown when finished 3rd of 15 but beaten 6.25L and even if dropped 2lb since then and the second of that race won next time out that performance isn't enough to give him a big chance here as he looked very one paced. As far as concerned the Aga Khan's filly she's making her debut in handicap and her seasonal comeback after a 212-day break. She raced in good companies at 2 but her opening mark of 67 doesn't seem a gift and from the stall nr. 22 even if the trip should suit more she is best watched today.