Gobi Desert (nearside) beating Golden Spell© Photo Healy Racing
Colin Keane moved back one ahead of Pat Smullen in the Flat jockeys’ championship as Gobi Desert got up close home to land the Legacy Stakes at Navan.
Keane showed just why he is in contention for a first title this season, producing the 3/1 chance from off the pace and proving strong inside the final furlong to deny Golden Spell by half a length.
The front-running Brick By Brick could find no extra in the closing stages of this Listed race to finish a further length away in third.
Winning trainer Ger Lyons said, “He hated the ground. Colin blamed himself the last day for riding him too prominent but rode him the way he wanted to today.
“You have to ride him cold but he’s a seven furlong minimum horse on better ground. I should think that will be his final run (this year) and hopefully we will hold onto him. He will be a nice horse next year on better ground going further.
“All he did today was stay, he was as green as grass, hated the ground. You couldn’t have been more negative and the only positive thing we can say about the experience is that he won.”
