Cheltenham regular gives Smullen a treble

Cheltenham festival regular Vigil claimed a fourth career win at Navan today, landing the concluding Come Racing Again Sunday 13th November Maiden for trainer Dermot Weld and jockey Pat Smullen who was completing a treble on the day.

Vigil filled fifth place in both the 2014 and 2015 Cheltenham festival bumpers before taking sixth in last March’s Neptune Novices Hurdle and today improved one placing on his recent course runner-up effort, which had been his first start on the flat.

Today the son of Dansili made all and was all out in the closing stages for a short head win over Bay Of Biscay

Weld wasn’t present but Champion Jockey-elect Smullen, who earlier partnered two winners for English trainer Peter Midgley at the county Meath venue, later quipped “it was never in doubt!”

He added “I wanted to make plenty of use of him as he gets that trip (1m5f) well. He improved from his last run and was always up to winning a maiden like that.

“He was probably getting a little bit lonely in front but to be fair he stuck at it well and stamina is his forte. He’ll be a grand dual purpose horse for the winter and the softer the ground the better he’ll be.”

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson