Pop Star upsets Yosemite Valley in Navan opener

Yosemite Valley was backed as if defeat was out of the question in the opening Simonstown Maiden at Navan but odds-on backers had their fingers burned as Pop Star made most to land this extended five-furlong event.

Both of the principals were making their belated seasonal debuts after showing plenty of promise in two outings last year and Yosemite Valley, a half-brother to Piz Badile and runner-up to Little Big Bear in the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes last term, was punted from 8/11 overnight to go off a red-hot 1/3 favourite.

Pop Star was the only threat in the market at 100/30 and Seamie Heffernan gave the first-time-blinkered colt a straight forward ride.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Sioux Nation was asked to assert over a furlong out and kept on well to hold off the favourite by three-quarters of a length.

The pair pulled four and a half lengths clear of Rathbranchurch in third.

Heffernan said, "We thought a bit of him last year and he got a setback, he's missed a lot of time off the track.

“Pat Martin trained the mother (Knock Stars), she was very genuine and she won a heap of races.

“In the last 20 yards he was quite green but I was more than happy with him.

“He's quick, five or six furlongs. If he gets seven furlongs he's definitely a Stakes horse.”

Quotes by Gary Carson