Cheveley Park recruit Ballyadam out to get off the mark for unstoppable Elliott
The €50,000 Randox Ulster National Handicap Chase (3.10) is the feature contest at Downpatrick on Sunday but there are six supporting races offering a combined €81,000 in prize-money.
Gordon Elliott boasts a 19 per cent strike-rate at the track in the past five seasons, with 63 winners from 324 runners, and he has a strong hand in the WKD Rated Hurdle (2.10).
The Cullentra trainer saddles three runners in the race, including The Very Man and Road To Dubai, who won last time out at Naas and Perth respectively.
Road To Dubai has not been seen since September but has some solid form to his name, including a third behind subsequent Champion Hurdle third Darver Star at this track in August. Elliott also saddles Texard for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.
Prolific point-to-point winner Longhouse Music returns to rules for the first time since April 2018 in the Boardsmill Sires Maiden Hunters Chase (4.10).
Sam Curling's remarkable 11-year-old has won 20 of her 36 starts in the amateur ranks and was crowned joint champion point-to-pointer last season. This is undoubtedly a sterner test, but she returns at the top of her game having won at Ballycahane earlier this month.
At the opposite end of the experience scale is Ballyadam, a four-length maiden point-to-point winner at Portrush for Colin McKeever in October. Bidding to break his maiden under rules in the Molson Coors Flat Race (4.40), Ballyadam was purchased by Cheveley Park for £330,000 at Tattersalls Cheltenham in November.
The son of Fame And Glory, now trained by Elliott, was a hot favourite to make his first start under rules at Navan a winning one, but he raced keenly and had no answer to Julies Stowaway and Delvino.
The latter has since struck, while the winner finished a respectable seventh in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
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