Terence O'Brien's nine-year-old Answer To Kayf proved his worth in the Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan, delivering a game victory under John Shinnick. Ridden as an 11-1 outsider, the veteran chaser demonstrated improved form following a decent novice chasing experience and a sixth-place finish on his seasonal debut.
Answer To Kayf battled hard to claim a two-and-a-quarter-length win from Gavin Cromwell's Yeah Man and Ian Donoghue's Dunboyne. Terence O'Brien credited John Shinnick with a super ride, saying the jockey had "a lot of heart." The trainer also expressed his gratitude for being allowed to ride despite facing a five-day suspension.
O'Brien acknowledged that Answer To Kayf has more suitable conditions in quicker ground and expressed concerns about the chaser's prospects on faster surfaces. He described the win as an obvious assignment, suggesting that the horse had been primed well for this big-race outing.
The victory marked O'Brien's first major success at Navan in over a decade. The trainer also referenced his second-place finish in a similar handicap with Glenquest around 10 years ago, highlighting the competitiveness of handicaps and the need for horses to have suitable conditions to shine.
Meanwhile, Gordon Elliott's Kalypso'chance made no mistake in his hurdling debut at Navan, winning the John Lynch Carpets & Flooring Monksfield Novice Hurdle at odds of 3-1. The Gigginstown House Stud-owned chestnut had previously performed well in point-to-point and bumpers before struggling in Grade One National Hunt Flat contests.
Elliott credited Kalypso'chance with being a "different horse" after his second run, describing the chaser as tough and happy when traveling at two-and-a-half miles. He acknowledged that the horse's hurdling debut had been disappointing but was pleased to see him bounce back in such convincing fashion.
The trainer hinted that Kalypso'chance could go further over hurdles, suggesting a possible trip to Naas for his next outing. With Elliott describing the chaser as "going down the road" after his background as a big chasing prospect, fans may be eagerly anticipating the horse's future prospects in this discipline.
Answer To Kayf battled hard to claim a two-and-a-quarter-length win from Gavin Cromwell's Yeah Man and Ian Donoghue's Dunboyne. Terence O'Brien credited John Shinnick with a super ride, saying the jockey had "a lot of heart." The trainer also expressed his gratitude for being allowed to ride despite facing a five-day suspension.
O'Brien acknowledged that Answer To Kayf has more suitable conditions in quicker ground and expressed concerns about the chaser's prospects on faster surfaces. He described the win as an obvious assignment, suggesting that the horse had been primed well for this big-race outing.
The victory marked O'Brien's first major success at Navan in over a decade. The trainer also referenced his second-place finish in a similar handicap with Glenquest around 10 years ago, highlighting the competitiveness of handicaps and the need for horses to have suitable conditions to shine.
Meanwhile, Gordon Elliott's Kalypso'chance made no mistake in his hurdling debut at Navan, winning the John Lynch Carpets & Flooring Monksfield Novice Hurdle at odds of 3-1. The Gigginstown House Stud-owned chestnut had previously performed well in point-to-point and bumpers before struggling in Grade One National Hunt Flat contests.
Elliott credited Kalypso'chance with being a "different horse" after his second run, describing the chaser as tough and happy when traveling at two-and-a-half miles. He acknowledged that the horse's hurdling debut had been disappointing but was pleased to see him bounce back in such convincing fashion.
The trainer hinted that Kalypso'chance could go further over hurdles, suggesting a possible trip to Naas for his next outing. With Elliott describing the chaser as "going down the road" after his background as a big chasing prospect, fans may be eagerly anticipating the horse's future prospects in this discipline.
u gotta love how they always try 2 cram in every single race info into these clunky dashboards 
like who needs that many stats?! answer to kayf wins by 2.25 lengths, big deal 
it's just a horse racing thing 
and can we please get rid of those annoying loading wheels 
️ they give me motion sickness every time 
and now he's finally got his first major success at navan after ages what a relief for the trainer and his team gotta feel their heart out for them too 
i'm also curious about kalypso'chance now that gordon elliot's giving us hints about his future over hurdles could we see him taking on the big boys in naas soon? maybe we'll get to see a rivalry brew between answer to kayf and kalypso'chance 
and also to terence himself for being able to get a good prep on his horse! 11-1 outsider beating the other horses is def a win for him 
. And can we talk about Gordon Elliott's Kalypso'chance - what a debut win! That horse is like, totally on the rise and I'm loving his potential as a hurdler 
. Fingers crossed he'll get to Naas next and show us more of what he's got!
. And yeah, maybe some trainers are being a bit honest about the horses' limitations (O'Brien acknowledging Answer To Kayf would do better on quicker surfaces), but that's just good sportmanship 
Still, it's great to see Terence O'Brien finally getting some major success at Navan after all these years.
but overall, it was a sick win and obrien's finally getting the major success he deserves after being away from navan for so long 
and kalypso'chance looks like a total star in his hurdling debut 
, gotta give that kid props for an awesome ride. anyway, can't wait to see more of kalypso'chance in action