Ginto makes striking impression in Navan victory

‘That was great, he’s the horse we thought he was’.

Ginto is two from two over hurdles after a runaway success in the Grade Two Navan Novice Hurdle for Jamie Codd and Gordon Elliott.

Starting as the 11-8 favourite from a field of five runners, the five-year-old ran prominently through the two-and-a-half-mile contest and took up the lead over the third hurdle from home.

From there the gelding was comfortably able to pull away, striding clear of the Joseph O’Brien-trained Eric Bloodaxe to register an impressive 11-length victory.

“That was great, he’s the horse we thought he was,” Elliott said.

“He’s a big galloper. From the second-last to the line is what I loved today, he just galloped. He’s a good horse.”

Ginto could now head for the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle, a Grade One event run over the same trip in January.

“He’ll get an entry for the race at Naas and we’ll see,” said Elliott.

“We’ll have a chat with (owners) Noel and Valerie (Moran) and see what they want to do.

“He’s a chaser in the making.”

Betfair slashed the winner in price to 12-1 from 25-1 for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

Codd, meanwhile, was replacing Davy Russell, with Elliott adding: “He just sprained his wrist and he’ll be all right.”

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