TITLE-chasing Billy Lee drew level with Colin Keane on 70 winners after racing at Navan on Thursday after he completed a fine treble which began when Ken Condon’s Sioux Spirit claimed the €25,000 Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden to look a filly with prospects in better company this autumn.

This daughter of the freshman sire Sioux Nation lined up off a nice debut run at Cork behind the exciting Easy and a close third in a decent-looking auction maiden at the Curragh earlier in the month. Those efforts saw the Cinco Partnership-owned filly returned the 6/4 favourite and there was plenty to like about her effort here.

Sioux Spirit still had work to do entering the last quarter of a mile but she soon started to pick up with purpose and came between horses to lead at the furlong pole before reaching the line just over two lengths ahead of Pop Star.

“She was very green and trailed the field on her first run at Mallow but got the hang of it late on and then stepped forward at the Curragh,” observed Condon. “Bill said she just took a moment to get going and she is still a bit green. That’s why we have a visor on her as she just needs a bit of help at the moment. She’s thoroughly genuine and the visor can come off in time. We might look for blacktype now.”

Lee then struck aboard Willie McCreery’s newcomer Marcher Lord (18/1-11/1), an increasingly rare Irish-trained runner for Godolphin, in the Lynn Lodge Stud Maiden over a mile.

A well-related sort whose family goes back to In The Wings, this son of Shamardal was ensuring that his trainer reached the 20-winner mark for the season in Ireland for the 10th year in succession. Marcher Lord held every chance nearing the final furlong and from this point on he always gave the impression that he had the measure of the experienced 79-rated Westernesse who went down by a neck. This three-year-old looks a nice type for the rest of the season.

Treble

The Charles Byrnes-trained Imperial Choice brought up the treble in the first divide of the 47-65 rated one-and-three-quarter-mile handicap.

Without a win in over two years the Come Home Sober Syndicate-owned seven-year-old took her time off a punishing gallop before cruising through to take charge of this race over a furlong from home. At the line the 7/1 chance had five lengths to spare over Benz as she took advantage of a 12lbs slip in the ratings since this time last year. The daughter of the Group 1-winning Eva’s Request is likely to turn out again at Clonmel on Thursday.

ODDS-on punters had to sweat but ultimately emerged victorious from the opener where Beauty Crescent returned from over three months off to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over just short of six furlongs.

The 10/11 favourite looked to be in big trouble when Congo River moved past and opened up a useful lead with over a furlong to run. However, the Beauty Stable-owned son of Acclamation, on his first run since being gelded, rallied splendidly for Colin Keane.

He was bearing down relentlessly in the final yards and edged out his aforementioned rival to prevail by a neck with the pair 12 lengths clear of the rest. Beauty Crescent was also wearing first-time blinkers as he built on two encouraging early season maiden runs.

“That was Colin at his best,” remarked Lyons whose charge could soon be bound for Hong Kong. “I debated leaving the blinkers off because he ran keen to post at the Curragh. Colin did the right thing down at the start that day as he pulled him out to think of another day.”

The day also featured a notable gamble on Johnny Murtagh’s Our Scholar in the three-year-old 47-70 rated handicap over a mile and three quarters. After four runs this Meta Osborne & Syndicates Racing-owned son of Exceed And Excel was handed an initial mark of 57 and he was backed from as big as 14/1 when betting on the race opened into 4/1.

In first-time cheekpieces Our Scholar produced a nice effort under Ben Coen. He became embroiled in a lengthy battle for supremacy with Gatito Rapido in the straight and after fending off that one he found more in the closing stages to hold Butterfly Island who seemed sure to find a way past. At the line Our Scholar had a nose to spare but he has more to give and appeals as one to follow in the coming weeks.

Another well-supported winner came when the 5/2 chance Swelltime ensured that the second divide of the 47-65 rated staying handicap also went to Limerick, following the victory of Imperial Choice half an hour earlier, as the six-year-old struck for Ballingarry-based William O’Doherty.

Now a dual winner under both codes, Swelltime produced a tenacious front-running effort for Seamie Heffernan. He turned away a number of challengers over the last quarter of a mile before getting home by three-parts of a length from Punters Poet.

AS It Was, who made a winning debut at this track in early July, bounced back from an unplaced run in the Ballyhane Stakes to win the nursery over an extended five furlongs.

A masterful Wayne Lordan was keen to get his mount settled in behind horses and then deftly manoeuvred his way out into the middle of the track to make his challenge inside the last quarter of a mile. Having been last after halfway As It Was (9/2 - 100/30) charged home when she met the rising ground to nail the front running Thunderbear and prevail by a length.

Andy Oliver trains this daughter of Camacho for his wife Saffron and indicated that the €300,000 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes at the Curragh in two weeks’ time could be next on the agenda for his charge.

Easily one of the most deserving winners of the day was Mick Mulvany’s Comfort Line (16/1) who ended a near two-year barren spell in the mile handicap.

Owned by the trainer’s father, Larry, this five-year-old has reached the frame in the last two runnings of the Irish Lincoln and he showed that all his ability remains intact. Comfort Line was showing in front around a quarter of a mile out for Gary Carroll and he stuck to his task well to fend off Ransom by a neck ahead of a tilt at this afternoon’s Irish Cambridgeshire.