Gordon Elliott: The views on my two Bank Holiday runners at Navan

Gold Cup winning jockey Barry Geraghty rides Bonisland for Gordon Elliott on Monday

Cullentra House Stables sent out their seventh winner in the last three weeks at Down Royal yesterday, so with with Gordon Elliott's string in such good form at present, we get his exclusive thoughts on his Bank Holiday Monday runners at Navan...

14.15 Navan - Bonisland

He's been in good form and he's been working well recently, we had intended to go to Cheltenham with him where he had multiple entries, but unfortunately he just didn't get in to any of the races that we had targeted for him. It would be nice if he could atone for that here, in what looks a small but select field. He won his bumper and his maiden hurdle quite nicely at the end of last year, and then we stepped him up in grade and he didn't disappoint. He showed a good level of form in behind some smart types like Willie Mullins' Ballycasey and Mouse Morris' Rule the World.

Mullins reopposes with Suntiep and he looks a talented sort having won his maiden hurdle nicely here in January, and looks the one to beat. However, our lad will appreciate the soft ground and the extended trip of 2m7f as he has race winning form under similar conditions.

His regular pilot Davy Russell is currently injured, so the owners were delighted to have Barry Geraghty booked to take the ride. If it turns in to a tactical affair there's no better man to have on your side, and I'd be hopeful of a good run from him at a track that he has run well at in the past.

15.15 Navan - Barneys Honour

He ran another cracker at Gowran Park over fences last Saturday, finishing a staying on third of 14 runners behind a what looked a well handicapped horse in the shape of Conor O'Dwyer's Competitive Edge, only beaten seven lengths at the finish. The ground was very heavy that day and he just struggled a bit to make up the ground on the front two at the business end of the race. We have decided to put him back over hurdles and his rating is quite similar under both codes (Chase OR of 118, Hurdles OR of 119) now having gone up 4lbs since finishing second to Rory Anna over hurdles at Gowran Park in January.

We have Davy O'Leary booked to take the ride, and the 7lbs that he claims will certainly help him contend with that rise in the weights. If he can continue improving, and reproduce the form he has been showing of late in more competitive races over fences, he would have a good chance of reaching the frame here again and hopefully picking up some more prize money as he has been doing all season.