Stanhope still delivering in Navan

Stanhope grabbed his third Navan success when obliging at 20/1 in the Safer Gambling Handicap over an extended five furlongs.

Mikey Sheehy 's mount made sustained progress to hit the front over a furlong out. It is still a fair climb to the winning post from there, but he kept toughing it out. Teddy Boy (9/1) cut into the lead in the closing stages but got as close as a neck at the line under Sheehy's brother, Danny Sheehy. He had won this race twice before in 2019 and 2020 and was fourth in last year's renewal. Tammany Hall s yellow colours were noted storming home down the outer for third, beaten a neck and half a length at 13/2. Wee Pablo also finished to good effect for fourth at 12/1 from 18s.

Trainer John McConnell said of the eight-year-old gelding: “He’s a real old stalwart. I was a little bit worried that we had the wrong side of the draw (in stall 8), but Mikey did a good job to get him as far over as he could.

“He’s got down to a mark (51) that he can win off at his age. He’s won two for them this year and has run well a lot of times from bad draws.

“He likes it here and he likes that trip. He probably doesn’t get 50 yards more than that.

“We’ll have to have a chat about whether we take him into next year and this has probably justified giving him a go.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee