Naylor, Rawnaq Eyeing Historical Feat at Cheltenham

Owner Irv Naylor likes to tell people he has had a magical life, and it's an admirable outlook considering he was paralyzed in a riding accident in 1999. But Naylor, 81, prefers to stay focused on the positive aspects of his life, like the fact that he owns a very good steeplechase horse named Rawnaq (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}).

Rawnaq, clearly the best steeplechase horse in the U.S., will be heading to the prestigious Cheltenham Festival in March, where he will look to become the first American-trained horse to ever win a race at the festival. A win would not only make history but would lead to a $500,000 bonus given to any horse that wins the May 15 GI Iroquois in the U.S. and the March 16 G1 World Hurdle at Cheltenham within a 12-month period.

Rawnaq, like most of Naylor's horses, began his career in Europe before being privately purchased midway through last year. Turned over to Naylor's primary trainer, Cyril Murphy, he finished third in last year's G1 Grand National and second in the G1 Colonial Cup. This year, he has been unbeatable, winning the G3 Temple Gwathmey, the Iroquois and the Grand National at Far Hills, New Jersey. His next start will be Saturday's Colonial Cup.

“A lot of Rawnaq's success is due to Cyril Murphy,” Naylor said. “Cyril is an excellent trainer who understands what it takes to win in Europe and what it takes to win here in the U.S. He applies his knowledge and horses thrive in his program. We are very happy to have him as the primary trainer of my horses.”

A win at Cheltenham would certainly be the best day of Naylor's life when it comes to his participation in steeplechase racing. The worst occurred on April 19, 1999. Riding at age 63 as an amateur in the Grand National Timber Steeplechase at Butler, Maryland, his mount fell at the 16th of 18 fences. As a result, Naylor broke the C5 vertebrae in his neck and has not walked since.

“There were many people who told me I was too old and I should retire,” said Naylor, who owns Snow Time Inc, which operates ski resorts. “Many others encouraged me to keep riding because they said I set such a good example for others, people who wanted to continue riding later in life.”

Since the accident, Naylor has been a leading force in the effort to cure paralysis and believes that stem cell research and treatments are the answer.

“Unfortunately, I don't think there will be a cure in my lifetime,” he said. “Maybe within the next 50 years.”

He says the worst aspect of being paralyzed is that he can no longer ride.

“Very sadly, I have not been on a horse in 16 years, since I fell at the Grand National,” Naylor said. “I don't expect to be able to ride a horse ever again, and that's because I have no sense of balance. I would fall to the left or fall to the right. I could get on the horse with a hoyer lift and be placed in the saddle but I would need someone on each side of me to make sure I don't fall off the horse.”

But nothing that happened that day in Maryland has affected his enthusiasm for the sport. Naylor has built the most powerful stable in American steeplechasing. He has all but clinched all of the 2016 owner titles, meaning he will have led the sport in wins eight straight years and in money earned in six of the last eight.

He has had many top horses, but Rawnaq has a chance to eclipse the rest, especially if he performs well at Cheltenham.

In order to promote international racing, the National Steeplechase Association and Cheltenham officials announced jointly on Nov. 15, 2015 the creation of the Brown Advisory Iroquois Cheltenham Challenge, a $500,000 bonus given to any horse that won the two races. Both races are run at three miles.

Eyeing the $500,000 bonus, top Irish trainer Willie Mullins sent over two horses for the Iroquois, multiple stakes winner Nichols Canyon (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) and Shaneshill (Ire) (King's Theatre {Ire}). But Rawnaq prevailed, winning by a neck over Shaneshill.

“[The Mullins horses] specifically targeted the Iroquois for that very reason, the bonus,” Murphy said. “They were already contemplating having a go in the World Hurdle. I wouldn't say they thought it was a formality that one of the two would win it, but I'm sure they thought the Iroquois was the easier half of the challenge.”

Rawnaq never distinguished himself when racing in Europe, winning 8 of 46 starts, though he did finish third in a handicap event at the Cheltenham Festival in 2015. Has his recent run of success been a product of his improvement or is it that the competition is much softer in the U.S.?

“His form was solid when we went looking for a horse over there,” Murphy said. “He fit our criteria. The more consistent ground over here certainly has been a benefit to him. He likes the drier ground. He definitely appreciates the drier conditions and he seems to be a relentless galloper.”

After the Colonial Cup, Rawnaq will stay in the U.S. until sometime in January, Murphy said. He will then ship over to England and will likely have a prep there for the World Hurdle. His regular rider Jack Doyle was injured in a Sept. 22 spill at Belmont, but Murphy believes he will be ready to ride again by the time of the World Hurdle.

There's no doubt that European steeplechasing is much tougher than American jump racing. A few American horses have gone over there to win, including Grand National winners Ben Nevis (1980) and Jay Trump (1965). But none has ever won at the Cheltenham Festival, a race meet so tough it even tripped up Flatterer, arguably the greatest American jumper of modern times. He finished second in the 1987 Champion Hurdle. In ante-post betting, Rawnaq is 33-1 to win the World Hurdle, perhaps a bit generous considering that the two European horses he beat at Iroquois are much lower in the odds. Nichols Canyon is 10-1 and Shaneshill is 16-1.

“I think that price on our horse is realistic,” Murphy said. “I would be delighted if we were to finish in the first four or five. But with any race on any given day, you can have some racing luck, so there's no reason to think he can't improve on that position.”

“We certainly hope he is up to task and we will do all we can to have him up to the task,” Naylor said. “I have great confidence in our trainer and I believe he will have him up for the challenge. I also think we have a very good horse.”

It may take some magic for Rawnaq to win at Cheltenham, but he is owned by someone who believes in such things. A tragic accident never stopped Naylor from achieving many of his goals in life. Perhaps he has found a horse that is every bit as courageous.