FOZZY Stack doubled up at Navan, when Bodhi Bear and New Theory landed two of the sprint maidens on the card.
Bodhi Bear was always in the front rank in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden and went on from Mathan in the final furlong.
Seamie Heffernan sent him home by a length and three-quarters at 13/8 for Mrs J Barrett.
Stack said: “He is (going the right way) and he hit the gates well there today again. He won well and was a long way clear of the third.
“He should be a better horse next year.” When asked about his Irish 2000 Guineas entry, he replied: “Sure we will see what happens, it is a long way between now and then. Maybe he could be a horse for a Guineas Trial in the spring and we will work it out from there.”
Close affair
The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over five furlongs was a much tighter affair, but New Theory was resolute in the finish.
The 11/1 shot found most under Darragh O’Sullivan to see off the placed horses – Turners Cross and Snapdragon – by a neck and a short head respectively for D Keoghan and Partners.
Stack said: “She’s tough, she is honest and she put her head down and battled. She got her turn.
“It helps (O’Sullivan’s 7lb claim), she was getting nearly a stone off the colts, which makes a big difference. Horses run for him. He is a nice kid and I know his father well – his dad worked for my dad, so we go back a long way.”
Positive ride
Aidan O’Brien’s Double Agent toughed it out best in the Safer Gambling Navan Maiden over a mile and six furlongs.
The 15/8 favourite kept finding for Wayne Lordan in the final quarter of a mile and fended off If You Let Me by half a length for Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg and Brant.
Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “Wayne gave him a very positive ride, set a lovely even tempo and just kept building it up halfway down the back.
“In fairness to the horse, he is tough. Once he got into the dip, and they came to him when he met the rising ground, he hit top gear and Wayne was very strong on him.”
ROSATO won on her last visit to Navan a fortnight ago and repeated the feat in the Safer Gambling Handicap over the extended five-furlongs.
Charles Weld’s filly looked threatening approaching the final furlong and worked her way to the front inside the final 100 yards to score by two and a half lengths at 16/1 for Mrs John M Weld.
Jockey Niall McCullagh said: “I really fancied her the last day in the Curragh and she just ran very flat.
“Today, I got on her in the ring and she was alive, she carted me to the start and I knew we were in business. Everything worked a treat, I needed a target.”
White Clover (8/1) tasted success for the first time in the Navan Racing Festival Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now Maiden.
Gary Carroll drove her on between horses in the final 150 yards to get up close home. She was half a length too good for the 8/11 favourite Beatrix Power.
Next year
Trainer Joe Murphy said: “We always thought she would have her maiden won by now, but she is nicely handicapped, so we will go for a handicap at the start of next year. I don’t think there is much left for her.”
White Clover obliged in the colours of James V Purcell and Crampscastle Bloodstock Ltd.
Mickey The Steel took the Blackcastle Handicap on this card two years ago and came back to do it again.
Rory Mulligan availed of a seam along the rail to catch Fair Taxes in the closing stages. His willing partner went on by three-quarters of a length at 9/1 for Patrick Sheridan and John Lynch.
Trainer Joseph Murray’s wife, Lisa, said: “The run at Bellewstown has really brought him on as we gave him a break over the summer, as he doesn’t like the hard ground. We just thought the rain might not have come for us, but enough came – it is yielding.”
KOOL One brought up plenty of bets (9/1-11/2 joint-favourite) in Division 1 of the Navan Racing Festival Real Deal Package On Sale Now Handicap over a mile and six furlongs.
He came with a powerful run for James Ryan, on this step up in trip, to grab the spoils close home.
After he won by half a length, trainer Conor Maxwell said: “We really fancied him here today over this trip. I thought we were a bit far back, but he got there well in the end. A family affair, as James’ dad (Kieran Ryan) owns him and his brother was leading him up.”
Eric McNamara’s Say It So came from last to first to annex Division 2 of the Navan Racing Festival Real Deal Package On Sale Now Handicap.
The 5/1 joint-favourite really found his stride in the straight and stormed into the lead inside the final furlong. From there, he put runner-up Black Soul to the sword by four and three-quarter lengths for the Hurling Mad Syndicate.
Jockey Billy Lee said: “He was very slow away, he’s a horse that always jumps a bit slow and he did it a more today.
“He was in good form and I suppose a big, galloping track like this and he had the long straight to get into it. I probably even got there too soon and he has won well.”