Lia Fail and Wesley Joyce right win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Race.© Photo Healy Racing
Lia Fail made just about all of the running under jockey Wesley Joyce before holding on for a narrow success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Race at Navan.
Winner of a Down Royal maiden in June, the Michael Mulvaney trained filly went close in stronger company at Galway subsequently, before returning to winning ways at Sligo last time.
Sent straight to the front by Joyce here, the daughter of Inns Of Court came under pressure over a furlong out but responded well to her jockey's urgings, keeping on strongly up the hill.
Favourite Megarry stayed on best inside the final furlong, only just failing to catch the eventual winner.
It was a third winner in succession for young Limerick born apprentice Wesley Joyce.
Michael Mulvany said: "Wesley said she is still a little green, but he said he didn't have to go for the whip with her.
"It got very close, but the handicapper has it near enough right. There was very little distance between any of them.
"She's entered for next week in another rated race (Cork on Wednesday), it is the same conditions as this one so we will wait and see how we go on. We'll see how she is and we might have another go.
"I'm delighted for Wesley, always trying to get him back on the right road. He is such a nice young fella.
"When he was with us, I couldn't say enough about him. He deserves everything he gets."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
