Nolan hopeful HMS Seahorse can outline Cheltenham credentials at Navan

Paul Nolan is hopeful HMS Seahorse can stay the trip and land the big pot on offer in Saturday's 2m4f Grade B Navan Handicap Hurdle (1.07).

The five-year-old showed promise last season, finishing third behind Vauban in the Grade 1 Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown in April, having previously come fourth in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival.

His opponents on Saturday will include the likes of Spyglass Hill, Belle Metal and Au Fleuron, with 15 runners declared. HMS Seahorse was last seen in September when running in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh, and his trainer says he's made notable improvements since.

"He's in good nick," said Nolan. "We gave him a break after the Irish Cesarewitch and he's been gelded since then. He's schooling nicely and we're delighted with his fitness.

"We think he's gotten a lot quicker and slicker over his hurdles since we gelded him. He's not as careful as he was and we're hoping for a big run from him."

Cheltenham is again on the horizon for HMS Seahorse, with Nolan saying: "The plan is to go here and then send him on to the festival. We're looking at a few different options. We think he should be able to handle the trip on Saturday and Navan is probably the stiffest track in the country.

"The Coral Cup is in our thinking and possibly the Martin Pipe as well, but if it turns into a soft-ground festival then the County Hurdle might be an option too."

Rebel Ivy won a Listed mares' hurdle at Limerick in October, scoring by ten lengths on her seasonal reappearance, and James Motherway's mare is declared for Navan, with Denis O'Regan taking the ride.

Motherway says she looks every bit as good as that run, despite suffering a recent setback.

Rebel Ivy: was last seen when winning a Listed race at Limerick in October

"She likes the soft ground," he said. "She won impressively last time out at Limerick, but we had a bit of a setback in mid-November. I had hoped to run her at Christmas and had to shelve that plan.

"She picked up a muscle injury that kept her out for about three weeks, so I've just been trying to find a race for her. We're happy with her fitness-wise, but she got a hike in the weights for the win at Limerick, so we'll see where we're at with that."

Rebel Ivy has gone up 12lb for that success and drops down from two miles six furlongs, but Motherway believes she is still in with a live chance of landing the €23,600 first prize on offer.

"She's up 12lb and that's a fair hike," said the trainer. "Still, she's on the right side of 11st. She races off 10st 11lb and I'm not too worried about the trip.

"It's heavy ground and a stiff two and a half miles and she feels every bit as good at home as she did before the win.

"I had looked for a conditions race for her, but there weren't a lot of options. We'll see how she gets on here, then she'll go on to the Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown in February."

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