Sunday Racing Tips: Beacon has the Edge over his rivals

There are a trio of meetings across the UK and Ireland on Sunday, with quality jumps meetings from Exeter and Navan joined by the afternoon all-weather card at Lingfield.

Amongst our Sunday fancies are two for trainer Gordon Elliott, who could have a very good day at the office with several good chances across a good card.

13.45 Navan - Helvic Dream @ 9/1

Noel Meade's HELVIC DREAM has shown enough in two starts over hurdles to suggest that he will be good enough to land the opening 1m7½f maiden hurdle, with Sam Ewing booked for the ride.

A Group 1 winner on the Flat when seeing off Broome in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in 2021, this is a classy horse and, if he can translate his form on the level to the jumps, he is a horse to keep onside.

Helvic Dream made his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse in December, where he ran well in fifth behind Firefox and Ballyburn. The latter is now the strong favourite to land the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.

He was last seen finishing fifth behind King Of Kingsfield in a Leopardstown maiden hurdle on Boxing Day, with the winner running well in a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival subsequently. This looks like an easier assignment for the selection.

14.15 Navan - Mel Monroe @ 11/2

Moving on to the Listed Apple’s Jade Mares Novice Hurdle over 2m5f, where Gordon Elliott's Brighterdaysahead bids to keep her unbeaten tag intact, but she will probably be too short to consider and looks worth taking on.

She might well prove too tough a nut to crack, but we're siding with Elliott's other runner in the race MEL MONROE, who should have the fitness edge over her stablemate off the back of her run at Warwick last month.

The selection ran in a 3m1f Pertemps qualifier on that occasion - her first crack at that sort of trip - but she didn't stay. She is best judged on her second behind Croke Park in the Grade 3 Monksfield over 2m4f at Navan in November and a repeat of that gives her a chance.

14.45 Navan - Beacon Edge @ 13/2

Blazing Khal came back from a 428-day absence to win this race last year, so another lengthy lay-off shouldn't worry backers in a superb renewal of the 2m5f Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott is responsible for four of the eight runners and interestingly Jack Kennedy has opted to ride BEACON EDGE, who won this race three years ago.

Beacon Edge is nowhere near the horse of times gone by at the ripe age of 10, but he won the He'llberemembered Hurdle at Thurles on his first start for Elliott in November.

He then lost nothing in defeat when fourth to Irish Point at Leopardstown at Christmas in Grade 1 company.

Check out our other Horse Racing Tips here.