Billy Lee and Wayne Lordan deliver two-year-old double for trainer Robson de Aguiar in Navan
Atlantic Bridge and Wayne Lordan win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. Pic: Healy Racing
In the absence of champion-jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, injured in a fall at Bellewstown on Tuesday, Billy Lee and Wayne Lordan delivered a two-year-old double for trainer Robson de Aguiar in Navan.
The season’s leading rider, Lee guided to-weight Supreme Lord (11/8) to a convincing handicap debut success in the opening Navan Racecourse Nursery while Lordan guided Atlantic Bridge, smashed into 8/11 favourite, to a convincing win in the five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
Supreme Lord built on creditable runs at Fairyhouse, Leopardstown and the Curragh to defy top-weight, off a mark of 79,l in the opener, racing prominently before powering clear to beat Howlin Wolf and giving Lee his 66th success of the season.
“We have always liked him, but he’s still babyish and is learning how to race,” said the winning trainer, “Billy said he had a lot in the tank and that he can step back up to seven furlongs. We’ll see what the handicapper does and might come back here.”
Second leg of the stable double was the twice-raced Atlantic Bridge, who gave Wayne Lordan no worries in the five furlong maiden, stalking trail-blazing Southernb Boulevard before easing past that rival at the furlong-pole and stretching away to score by two and three-quarter lengths.
“He’s getting more professional and, with his head in front today, he should improve again, said de Aguiar, “He is a nice horse for the future and he’ll probably go for the Sales race on Champions Weekend (the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes at the Curragh).” Also in double form were Ger Lyons and Colin Keane, who struck with Amiata and This That, a brace which saw the former champion-jockey close to within two of Billy Lee ((66-64) in the title-race.
Described by Keane as “a proper little fun horse, a proper little sprinter”, Amiata recorded his third win of the season when getting the better of long-absent By The Lake by a head in the Navan Racing Festival Early Bird Handicap before surviving a Stewards Enquiry.
“He’s doing well physically and probably needed his last run,” said Ger Lyons, “He should improve as a four and five-year-old. We might look at Champions Weekend, or he could come back here for a 0-100 handicap.” This That proved the second leg of the Glenburnie double, pipping 2/5 hot-pot Leadlight by a short-head and prompting his rider to explain, “He had a lovely first run, but didn’t handle Gowran. And running him back over six at the Curragh woke him up. The small field today definitely suited him.” Narrowly beaten at the Curragh last time, the Jarlath Fahey-trained Aven Grand Plaisir (3/1 favourite) opened his account when reversing form with Comfort Line (finished third) in a division of the Curragh To Curagh Charity Cycle Handicap, holding the late surge of Sheamus Seimhiu by a nose.
The winner carries the colours of Kathleen Whelan, mother of winning rider Ronan, who quipped, Riding for Coolmore is easy compared to this.” In the first division of this event, Nephin Mountain (11/1), ridden by Wesley Joyce, gave his trainer Mick Mulvany his fifteenth success of the season. A return to Navan for the new meeting next Wednesday is on the cards for winner.
Sam Coen edged three ahead of Paddy Harnett in the battle for the Apprentice Championship thanks to a late double.
He partnered top-weight Sunrush, trained by his uncle Andy Slattery, to a gutsy win over favourite Millhone in the GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap.
And Coen followed-up on Miss Australie (16/1), for Ado McGuinness, in the finale, his twentieth win of the season. The winner holds an entry in Cork on Sunday.
