DANNY McLoughlin and Ben Coen were swiftly into stride at Navan, as they teamed up to land the opening two maidens on the card.
Layla Belle was an easy-to-back 9/1 chance for the juvenile median auction maiden after a debut sixth over further in Naas.
Coen raced her in touch and, from an improving sixth over a furlong out, she ran on well to get up by a short head close home over Miss Mona Keeba.
McLoughlin said: “Guy O’Callaghan owns this filly, and he has been brilliant to me. Ben said there that she was very green, but she was strong at the line.
“He would have no problem stepping up with her, so that leaves the options open.”
Patience pays off
The pair doubled up with Lilli’s Angel (15/8 favourite) in the extended five-furlong maiden for three-year-olds plus.
The Sioux Nation filly raced towards the rear and was positioned in mid-division at the halfway point. Coen sent her to the front approaching the final furlong and she stretched away in the closing stages to score by three and three-quarter lengths for owner/trainer McLoughlin.
He said: “When I was putting the saddle on her there, she has gone into a very big filly.
“She’s very strong and even Ben said it there that she is a different filly to sit on.
“She just took a little bit of time coming to hand, but patience is a virtue. For a filly with three runs, a lot of our work would be done on the bridle, so they never get let down too often. Ben said she will improve plenty.”
Slatterys in
winning form
ANDY and Andrew Slattery also posted a brace of winners, initiated by Expert Dancer in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap.
The 9/2 chance didn’t have the clearest passage behind horses racing to the final two furlongs, but made headway a furlong down and came home best of all to pip 2/1 favourite Divine Legend by a short head for owner Maurice F. Aherne.
Trainer Slattery said: “She got an injury and was away in surgery in Fethard for two weeks - she got a nail up to the frog of her hoof and she was very lucky to be back racing.
“It was touch and go for a few days. They did a great job to get her back. I think she will be a lovely filly for the Lincoln.”
Brown brings the brace
Kodi Brown (9/1) made light of an absence of just over 11 months, when successful in the first divide of the extended 10-furlong handicap.
Slattery Jnr had her tracking the leaders and she came through to hit the front over a quarter of a mile out. Her fitness certainly wasn’t lacking, as she sailed in by more than three lengths.
Slattery Snr said: “She was ready to run in April and then she got an injury.
“She did her pelvis during the summer, and she was off and missed a lot of work.
“She is owned by a lovely man, Finbarr Walsh, and he enjoys his few horses. He made the trek from Cork today.”
Crown dazzles in nursery
Celestial Crown (10/1) led home a 1-2 for Johnny Murtagh in the extended five-furlong nursery. Her final furlong was her best one, as she hunted down stablemate Prince of Peppard to force a photograph, which she came out on the right side of by a short head for Orla Murtagh.
Jockey Seamie Heffernan said: “Ben Coen (on runner-up) is one of the hardest to beat - he’s very, very strong. I thought he had won, I didn’t think I got him.
“My filly has had a lot of runs and she knows her job. She has got the experience, and it probably helped her today. The ground was a big difference.”
JOSEPH O’Brien’s Jesus Green, who was runner-up when last seen in a Group 1 at Leopardstown, took care of the opposition in the extended mile maiden.
The 4/11 favourite tanked along for Joey Sheridan before taking closer order into the straight. He was produced to lead on the run to the final furlong and readily opened up by three lengths from promising debutant Choctaw Nation.
Sheridan, sporting Chris So Chun Hung’s colours, said: “You’d love his attitude, he’s very straightforward. It was obviously a very exciting run the last day and he is a very exciting colt. He’s going to grow up plenty too.”
Track specialist
Rosato (7/2 favourite) confirmed her fondness for Navan in the five-furlong handicap for three-year-olds plus.
The five-year-old mare was prominent for Rory Mulligan, and he asked her for her effort in fourth with over two furlongs to travel. She took over outside the final furlong and forged on strongly to win by four lengths in the colours of Mrs John M. Weld. Charles Weld said: “Three out of three course and distance. Rory gave her a peach there today.
“A few people have enquired about her, but she works with everything, and she will pop up and earn her keep.”
Ballaghkeen (14/1) finished with a flourish in the second divide of the extended 10-furlong handicap for owner Jackie Bolger. Jim Bolger’s representative was pushed along in fifth by Declan McDonogh as the race unfolded two furlongs down, and really found her stride at the business end as she picked up Nottooshabby close home for a two-length victory.
Travelling Head Lad Ger Flynn said: “She had a bad injury in Dundalk last year - she slipped and fell before racing on the concrete in the stableyard. She injured herself, so that put us back.
“It has taken her two runs to get confidence back. Declan was confident today - get out smart, down the outside where the better ground is. She finished out well.”