O’Briens rule at Navan
The one-mile maiden for two-year-old colts, won four years ago by subsequent Irish Derby victor Soldier Of Fortune, saw Exodus, ridden by Seamus Heffernan, bounce back from an odds-on defeat at Listowel to record and impressive all-the-way win.
Heffernan bounced the Montjeu colt out of the stalls smartly, dictated the pace and was in command with more than two furlongs to race as his odds-on stable-companion Pirate Chief (Johnny Murtagh) laboured to finish a well-beaten third.
Exodus (14/1) triumphed by nine lengths, prompting the winning rider to comment: “I liked him the first day at Leopardstown and expected him to win in Listowel. But Johnny said he got a fright in the stalls, jumped slowly and was never happy. Today, he hit the gates well and I managed to get him into a nice rhythm from the start. I knew I had plenty under me turning into the straight and, when I asked him to pick up, he went away. He stays well and should make a nice three-year-old.”
Joseph O’Brien’s treble brought his seasonal tally to 30, just three behind reigning champion Gary Carroll and two off Ben Curtis, in the battle for the apprentice championship.
And the teenager’s second win of the afternoon, on the home-bred Galileo filly Eirnin, was achieved, in a tight-finish, at the expense of the Murtagh-ridden stable-companion Diamond Brooch in the two-year-old fillies maiden.
Eirnin, having her third run, got up on the line to short-head Murtagh’s mount and then survived a Stewards’ Enquiry.
While some of the earlier Ballydoyle winners were light in the market, Table Mountain, who rounded off the day for the O’Briens in the concluding ten-furlong maiden, was all the rage on-track, backed from 7/4 to 5/4.
And the son of Milan duly built on his recent debut fourth at the Curragh to justify the market confidence, at the expense of Eurhythmic.
O’Brien Jnr had initiated his treble when Fosters Cross, pulled up in two recent chase outings, most recently at Gowran Park last Friday, bounced back to spring a 25/1 shock in the October Race, an event which featured a number of horses better known for their exploits over jumps.
Fosters Cross proved too strong for the well-backed Cross Appeal, with odds-on favourite Hidden Universe appearing to blow-up before finishing fourth.
Meanwhile, Johnny Murtagh lies ten behind former champion Pat Smullen in the tile race after landing the Newgrange Race on Aidan O’Brien’s Don Carlos, having his first run since disappointing in the Lingfield Derby Trial back in May.
Confidently ridden, Don Carlos came through to master Choose Me, on which Declan McDonogh had attempted to dictate a sedate pace.
And Murtagh declared: "There was plenty left in him and, hopefully, Aidan will find something else for him before the end of the season.”
Earlier, Fran Berry kept the Charles O’Brien-trained Jedward to the stands side throughout the five-furlong Kells Maiden and brought the Namid filly home a two and a half lengths winner from Nidian.
The previously luckless Statue Of Dreams made virtually all the running in the hands of Leigh Roche to win the opening Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap for trainer Jim McCabe.
On a day of shocks, the Andy Oliver-trained Flowers Of Spring proved a 33/1 winner of the Meath Handicap, responding to strong handling from Chris Hayes to record an emphatic eight lengths win. In last place and receiving reminders in the first furlong, she came through to lead at the two furlong pole before stretching clear."
