Who is lined up for the Navan Novice Hurdle this Saturday after it supplied three Cheltenham Festival winners last season?

The Grade 2 Tote Navan Novice Hurdle (1.07) on Saturday proved the biggest clue to last season's Cheltenham Festival with the winner, third and fourth all going on to success at the big banquet in the Cotswolds, and this year Gordon Elliott has entered four of his most talented youngsters.

Supreme hero Slade Steel won the race last year, with Albert Bartlett winner Stellar Story in third and Better Days Ahead, who landed a red-hot Martin Pipe, filling fourth spot.

Elliott, who has won the Navan Novice Hurdle with No More Heroes (2014), Death Duty (2016) and Ginto (2021), has entered Bleu De Vassy, The Yellow Clay and Wingmen, who are all unbeaten over hurdles. Patter Merchant is his other entry.

Elliott said: "They are four good horses. Bleu De Vassy has turned inside out since we sent him over hurdles and could run, while we always thought a lot of Wingmen. He seems more manageable this season and won his maiden hurdle nicely at the track. I think there's more to come from him.

"The Yellow Clay has top-class bumper form and you couldn't have asked for any more from him on his two runs over hurdles. He's a course-and-distance winner as well, from the Navan Racing Festival. We'll decide later in the week but I'd say I'll run more than one anyway."

Irish Grand National hero Intense Raffles remains on course to make his eagerly awaited comeback in a €100,000 event on the same card at Navan on Saturday, with trainer Tom Gibney stressing that all roads lead to Aintree in April.

Only last season's winner I Am Maximus is a shorter price than Intense Raffles for the 2025 Grand National, with the grey gelding as short as 14-1 with Ladbrokes and no bigger than 20-1.

Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles with his trainer Tom GibneyCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

At Navan he is set to contest the Listed Bective Stud, Tea Rooms & Apartments Handicap Hurdle, which has a huge prize fund that includes a winner's cheque to the value of €59,000.

Gibney, recipient of the National Hunt Achievement award at the Horse Racing Ireland awards in Dublin on Monday night, said: "I've had this hurdle race in mind for him for quite a while. It's a brilliant pot and for the last few years every time the race comes up I've said to myself that I'd love to have a runner in it. Now I do, so hopefully he can go well.

"Three miles and one around Navan with some cut in the ground is just about perfect for him, so I'd be hoping he can give a good account of himself.

"He's been back in training a good few weeks at this stage and he looks great. I'm very happy with everything he is doing, but he hasn't run since the Irish National so he will obviously improve for the run."

Asked about Intense Raffles' main aim, Gibney said: "All roads lead to Aintree for him. Ever since we won the Irish Grand National we've had Aintree in mind for him, so we'll map out a path for him to the Grand National. I'm not sure where he will go after Saturday. I put him in the Grade 1 hurdle over three miles at Leopardstown over Christmas so that could be an option, but we'll get Saturday out of the way first and see how he gets on before we start looking further down the line.

"It's great to have a horse like him in the yard and we're very lucky to have him."

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