Silmaniya secures first success in Premier Nursery

Silmaniya gained a deserved first win at Navan today, as the Aga Khan-owned filly narrowly landed the €30,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Premier Nursery for trainer Johnny Murtagh and jockey Ben Coen.

The daughter of Expert Eye carried form-figures of '3222' into today's race and at Cork last month failed by a short-head, and following a stewards' enquiry, to today's rival Tiger Paw

Held up behind the leaders today by Coen, Silmaniya made good late headway to lead near the line, for a neck win over Polar Bear with Tiger Paw filling third. There was a subsequent stewards' enquiry into minor interference in the closing stages but the result stood.

Murtagh, whose Shartash won June's Railway Stakes for the Aga Khan, said “it was a perfect race, she had been running in maidens and was getting there a bit too soon. In all fairness the last day the winner leaned on her a little bit and just knocked her off stride for a bit.

“She's a filly with a lot of ability, sometimes you could question her attitude but you couldn't question it there because it got tough and she dug down. It was a good performance.

“I was a little worried about the ground but she did work well in it in the spring so she handles cut in the ground as well. She's been busy so I'll speak to the team back home and see what we'll do but she could be ready for one more.

“She's only two so there is plenty of time for her to look for black-type and today was the day.”

Quotes from Gary Carson