Cheltenham’s November Meeting dominates the racing headlines this week. However, the Prestbury Park event isn’t the only multi-day fixture on the menu. Over in Ireland, the Navan Racing Festival adds significantly to the weekend’s offering.
Getting underway on Saturday afternoon and concluding on Sunday, the meeting features 16 cracking contests, including six at Listed level or above. With the final fields now taking shape, racegoers and TV viewers are in for a treat. Among the likely runners are a smattering of 2025 Cheltenham stars and others hoping to make a splash at the 2026 Festival. Highlights over the two days include the following.
Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle – The Yellow Clay Makes Open Debut
Gordon Elliott has drawn a blank in this Grade 2 2m4f contest since winning three times between 2017 and 2020 with Apple’s Jade (twice) and Sire Du Berlais. The master of Cullentra House has a solid chance of re-entering the winner’s enclosure with the talented six-year-old, The Yellow Clay.
Sporting the Bective Stud silks, this son of Yeats enjoyed an excellent Novice hurdle campaign. He began with a nine-length romp in a Down Royal maiden, then added three successive wins at this track, including an eight-length stroll in the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle. He backed those efforts up with a close second to The New Lion in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, before suffering a heavy fall on his final start at Punchestown.
Thankfully, none the worse for that mishap, The Yellow Clay drops to Grade 2 level for his first start in open company. If bringing his classy novice form to the table, he may prove hard to beat as he begins his journey towards a possible tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle.
Bar One Racing Fortria Chase – Champion Chaser Back in Action
With defending champion Found A Fifty and the talented Firefox among the entries, Gordon Elliott has a strong hand in the big Grade 2 chase on the opening day. Three-time winners Henry De Bromhead and Willie Mullins are also represented. De Bromhead relies on the 2022 and 2023 winner, Captain Guinness, while Mullins has the prolific mare Dino Blue among the entries. However, it is the sole runner from the yard of Barry Connell who takes top billing.
Long spoken of in glowing terms by his trainer, Marine Nationale helped put the name of Michael O’Sullivan up in lights when the pair claimed the 2023 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Only a month after the young rider’s tragic death in February 2025, Marine Nationale returned to claim the Queen Mother Champion Chase on a remarkable afternoon at Cheltenham. Proving that 18-length rout was no fluke when following up in the Punchestown Champion Chase, he is the star attraction at the 2025 Navan Racing Festival.
Pat Sheils Memorial Irish EBF Beginners Chase – Kopek Des Bordes to Take on Fences
Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins have won six of the past eight editions of this event and dominate the entries in 2025. The clear pick of the Closutton contingent is the five-year-old Kopek Des Bordes. A 13-length winner of his bumper in 2024, this son of No Risk At All rocketed to the head of the novice hurdle division last season. He overcame a sticky round of jumping to win his maiden at Leopardstown, then added a second 13-length win in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle before his famous victory in the Supreme Novices Hurdle. Quite what went wrong on his final start at Punchestown remains something of a mystery. Currently favourite for the Arkle Chase, Kopek Des Bordes’ chasing journey begins here.
Lying in wait among the potential opposition is one of the most exciting mares in training. Representing Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud, Brighterdaysahead disappointed at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals, but had previously displayed her talent with a jaw-dropping 30-length win in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Hurdle. Successful first time out in the 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25 seasons, she will be a big threat if she is enetered and handles the switch to fences.
Race and Stay Irish EBF Beginners Chase – Final Demand Takes First Steps Towards Brown Advisory
Gordon Elliott and Bective Stud have won the two editions of this race to date, with American Mike coming home in front in 2023 and Better Days Ahead claiming the 2024 edition. Jigaro, My Trump Card, and Wingmen are pencilled in to represent the trainer/owner combo in 2025, but they may have their work cut out to prevent a returning Willie Mullins star from claiming top spot.
Like Kopek Des Bordes, Final Demand had just one start before the 2024/25 season – in his case, a six-length win in a Lingstown Point-to-Point. Adapting to life under Rules with ease, he landed his maiden by 15 lengths and followed up with a mighty 12-length victory in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle. He lacked the gears to match The Lion In Winter in the Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle but rounded off his season with an impressive 16-length stroll in the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. Already mentioned as a potential Gold Cup horse for the future, he is an intriguing addition to the novice chase division.
Given the quality on show, it would be no surprise to see at least one winner at the Navan Racing Festival go on to Cheltenham success in March.