< Downforce was an impressive winner of the Listed Cork Stakes at Navan on Saturday.
A race he won easily 12 months ago on his seasonal reappearance at Cork, the six-year-old has clearly improved for a run this year as Willie McCreery's 5-2 chance reversed Naas form with Son Of Rest (second) and G Force (third).
Under an uncomplicated Billy Lee ride, the Fast Company gelding made all and held off the late challenge of Son Of Rest to score by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
Action got underway at 2.10 and Urban Beat made it second time lucky in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
Johnny Murtagh's 7-2 chance was sighted just once as a two-year-old and performed admirably behind Beckford, a subsequent Group Two winner and twice placed in Group One races, at the Curragh.
The son of Red Jazz has clearly improved from two to three years and needed every yard of the minimum trip to score by a length under Shane Foley.
Ger Lyons also looks to have a nice horse to go to war with this year as Flat To The Max (6-4 favourite) impressed in winning the Arkle Bar Maiden.
Well backed on his racecourse debut, he was well positioned under Colin Keane and quickened up well to beat market rival Zayriyan by three-and-three-quarter lengths.
It paid to be prominent on the rails and Sors (11-2) was exactly that in the Navanracecourse.ie Handicap for Andy Slattery and his son Andrew Slattery, while similar sentiments apply to the Matthew Smith-trained, Wayne Lordan-ridden Warnaq (4-1) in the Bective Restaurant At Navan Racecourse Handicap and the James Barrett-trained For Pleasure (8-1), who was given an inspired Rory Cleary ride to win the Follow Us On Twitter Handicap by some six and a half lengths.< Prospectus (7-2 joint-favourite) was given a well-timed Kevin Manning ride to win the Racing Again April 22nd Handicap finale for trainer Gavin Cromwell.
