Urban Beat is ridden out by Shane Foley to beat Soffia© Photo Healy Racing
Urban Beat made it four wins from seven starts, as he landed the feature at Naas this evening, the Listed Woodlands Stakes, providing rider Shane Foley with a quick-double on the card.
Successful three times last season, the Johnny Murtagh trained four-year-old ran a fine race to finish fourth on his first try in Listed company at Navan last month.
The son of Red Jazz touched 3/1 on-course this evening, before eventually going off a well-backed 9/4 favourite in the colours of owners Fitzwilliam Racing.
Settled just behind the leaders on the inner, the bay victor was pushed along in pursuit of the leader, Soffia from the furlong pole.
He got alongside that rival with 100 yards left to race, and was soon ridden to the front, going on to prevail by a neck.
The aforementioned Soffia (4s from 11/2) had to settle for second, while last year's winner Primo Uomo (7/2) flew home to take third, another half a length behind.
"It's a first Stakes winner for Fitzwilliam Racing so they are all delighted," said Murtagh.
"It's three years on now and he was always the best one we had. He's the best horse I have in the yard, he's rated 100.
"I think he has progressed from last year. The gelding has made him a bit leaner and a bit more agile. It's really helped him.
"Where before he wasn't quite sure how to sprint I think he's now just starting to learn. We have him in the Group 2 at York and in the Greenlands. We're going to go that route and see how far he can go.
"We think he's progressing. Shane is happy with him at home and has said he'd improved a lot. Mentally he's improved and physically he's a bit slimmer and a bit more agile."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
