Darver Star heads market in battle for the Boyne at Navan

Darver Star bids to get back on the winning trail in the BetVictor Boyne Hurdle at Navan on Tuesday.

The two-mile-five-furlong contest is one of two Grade Two prizes up for grabs on a card that was swiftly rescheduled after being cancelled on Sunday due to waterlogging.

Placed in both the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown and the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham two years ago, Darver Star has been campaigned over longer trips for much of this season.

Gavin Cromwell's decision to switch his charge back to the smaller obstacles paid off with a wide-margin victory at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve, while he was last seen filling the runner-up spot behind Brewin’upastorm at Lingfield.

Cromwell said: "He’s in good shape. I just hope the ground isn’t too soft."

Darver Star holds an entry in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle next month, a race won by stable companion Flooring Porter last season.

On whether Darver Star could step up three miles at the Festival, Cromwell added: "It just depends. I suppose if he went and won the Boyne Hurdle, and stayed well, we’d leave him in it anyway."

Matthew Smith is hoping stable star Ronald Pump can get his season back on track.

The Schiaparelli gelding kicked off his campaign by finishing second to the brilliant Honeysuckle in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse, but has since disappointed at Ascot and Leopardstown.

Smith said: "He seems in good form now – he’s been freshened up since Christmas.

"He never settled at all in Ascot and burnt himself out, then I suppose Christmas in Leopardstown came too soon afterwards.

"We have no real plans after Tuesday. We didn’t even enter him for Cheltenham, but if things went well you could look at Aintree. If they didn’t, we’d make another plan. Nothing is set in