Senecia turns over El Fabiolo at Navan

Senecia stunned odds-on favourite El Fabiolo with a 50-1 victory in the BoyleSports Webster Cup Chase at Navan.

All eyes were on four-times Grade One winner El Fabiolo in the Grade Two affair, with the Willie Mullins-trained runner having just his second start of the campaign having fallen on his belated return at Leopardstown last month.

Townend allowed El Fabiolo to warm to his task as Senecia set out to make all in the hands of Philip Enright, with the 4-11 market leader seemingly having plenty in reserve when taking closer order with five fences to jump.

However, Senecia was game for a battle and when the pair settled down to fight it out over the final two obstacles, Vincent Halley’s charge showed plenty of heart and fended off the challenge of El Fabiolo by a length and a quarter.

Owner Laurence Halley said: “Wonderful, wonderful! A brave horse and he’s a great jumper. He jumped as good as any of them in the Fortria (third in November).

“He has been highly tried and we thought the ground would find him out today, but he handled it.

“He was a €16,500 foal and we kept him as a Covid carry over (as he did not sell at the sales).

“Navan has been a lucky place for me, I won the Fortria with Arctic Skipper and Sean Flanagan (in 2016). We got home a short head from all the big boys again!

“I’d say it will be Fairyhouse next or Punchestown.”

While El Fabiolo’s run did not go to plan, the Mullins-trained Champ Kiely did follow the script in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase.

A Grade One novice hurdle winner, Champ Kiely was sidelined for 614 days before making a winning debut over fences at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day before coming home fourth behind stablemate Ballyburn when upped to the highest level at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Eased to Grade Three company for this contest, Champ Kiely always had the measure of second-placed giant Jeannot Lapin and the 30-100 favourite coasted home for an eight-length victory under Townend.

Champ Kiely still holds a Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase entry at the Cheltenham Festival but Mullins will be looking elsewhere with the nine-year-old.

He said: “He put in a good round of jumping and galloped to the line.

“Coming back to two miles wasn’t any harm to him, so I’m very pleased with him.

“He could go to the WillowWarm (Gold Cup) at Fairyhouse over two and a half miles. That might be a better option for him.”

Prince Palace (7-2) look Listed laurels in the Nas Na Riogh Novice Handicap Chase for trainer Pat Fahy and jockey Harry Sexton, seeing off Shantreusse by three lengths.

Fahy said: “He never won anything before, but he has been coming nicely. A few lovely runs and it worked out. We only get the odd old big one!

“A great ride. I was hoping that a top rider would come in, a young lad that would work. He doesn’t care what sort of work it takes to get going, he will work. He can ride into the bargain and is willing to listen.

“He is getting very cool and not panicking. He is keeping the whip down, and he is getting better and better.”