Denise Foster enjoyed a notable big-race success as Lily's Rainbow won the Listed Heritage Stakes over a mile at Navan on Sunday.

On a day where those racing prominently fared particularly well, Billy Lee's mount soon led in company with Dragon Fei, and Flight Risk close behind in third.

The 16-1 chance held a clear advantage a furlong and a half out and stayed on strongly to score by three and a quarter lengths from Brendan Brackan.

Lee said: "That was brilliant, to be fair to Denise she said she was well, she has form on the ground and she stays well. There was no pace, so I was happy to let her bowl along in front and she enjoyed it.

"I knew she had a bit left in the tank and she galloped all the way to the line. You have to grind it out in that ground and she gets a mile and a quarter well."

Foster, who currently has five horses in training, was recording her first win at Listed level.

She said: "She's a completely different filly this year. She is so much more relaxed both at home and in the way she runs.

"I can't believe it, but the one thing she has is a huge heart and she kept finding more and more.

"I was really happy with her in the last few weeks, but I was just hoping she could finish third."

O'BRIEN TREBLE

Aidan O'Brien trained three winners on the card.

Pretty Perfect made all under a canny ride from Colm O'Donoghue to spring a surprise in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes.

The 9-1 shot was not the Aidan O'Brien stable first string but stuck on gamely to land the Listed spoils.

Glamorous Approach was the only rival to trouble the winner, but she was brushed aside in the final furlong and was readily beaten by three and a half lengths.

O'Brien's other two runners, Best In The World and Kind Of Magic, never threatened and neither did the 6-4 favourite Queen Blossom. Dermot Weld's Emergent was third.

O'Donoghue said: "She's been working really nicely at home and has improved from two to three.

"Aidan said to ride her how I found her, and she picked up when they came to me.

"She's not short of speed and has a lot of class."

O'Brien said: "She was held up the first day and then Ana made the running on her when she won at Leopardstown.

"Colm gave her a lovely ride and she will go for one of the Oaks trials. Looking at her you would say that she definitely stays."

O'Donoghue added: "She had good form last year and the maiden she won has worked out well.

"She kept galloping. She is by Galileo and you would have to think the Oaks is an option."

O'Brien was recording a 209-1 double after Hyzenthlay (20-1) had stunned punters with victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden in the hands of his daughter Ana.

Aasheq was a disappointment as The Gurkha stretched right away with the Kilberry (C & G) Maiden.

The former had been second to Derby favourite US Army Ranger in what looked a hot maiden at the Curragh but while quickening into contention two and a half furlongs out, he couldn't get to Ryan Moore on The Gurkha, who was never out of cruise control.

Completing a treble for the Aidan O'Brien team, The Gurkha came forward markedly from his Leopardstown third on debut as he strode on in impressive fashion from the front, slamming Saafarr by nine lengths.

Rabbie The Bard was third, with 8-11 market leader Aasheq fading to be well beaten.

Paddy Power eased US Army Ranger by a point to 5-1 for Epsom, installing The Gurkha at 16-1.

O'Brien said: "He had a good draw and it worked out lovely. Seamie (Heffernan) loved him at Leopardstown, he was mad about him when he came in and Ryan was mad about him there.

"We thought he might be a French Guineas horse, he came forward lovely and you'd be delighted with him today.

"He's only a baby but probably learned a lot the first day, even though he got beaten. If we could get one (another run) in between we would, but it's not essential.

"I asked Ryan if he'd get further (than a mile) - he said a mile and a quarter but he wasn't sure after that. He's a horse with a lot of pace, I wouldn't be sure about a mile and a half.

"It's Ryan's first time here and he was very complimentary about the track."

He added of US Army Ranger: "That's the route we're going with US Army Ranger and always was - the Curragh, then a trial, then Epsom.

"He has an option between Chester and the Derrinstown and it's very possible he will go to Chester. There's a big atmosphere there, with tight bends and he has to learn a lot in a short space of time."

The earlier win for Hyzenthlay was officially for O'Brien but in effect was a first two-year-old winner for son Joseph, who supervised her preparation at the family's Piltown base in County Kilkenny.

O'Brien junior said: "She was going nicely and showing plenty of speed. It was our first two-year-old to run from the hill (in Piltown) and we were not sure what kind of marker we had on them.

"We weren't going to run her because of the ground. She might be a stakes-type filly."

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