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- Review navan 17th Apr
Review navan 17th Apr
Colin Keane with trainer Ger Lyons
© Photo Healy Racing
Aidan O'Brien went to Navan with fancied runners but still sprung a few surprises, including with Pretty Perfect in the feature Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes.
It paid to be prominent for much of the afternoon and Colm O'Donoghue set his own fractions on the 9-1 shot before kicking entering the straight.
She had been tracked throughout by Jim Bolger's Glamorous Approach and they remained in that order as Pretty Perfect saw out the trip well to land Listed honours by three and a half lengths.
The winner's stablemates Best In The World and Kind Of Magic were out of the frame, as was the Patrick Prendergast-trained favourite Queen Blossom < Hyzenthlay was the second string of the O'Brien newcomers in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden for juveniles but wasn't for catching under the trainer's daughter Ana.
The daughter of Henrythenavigator was an unconsidered 20-1 chance but knew her job and kept the well-backed Oh Grace half a length at bay.
O'Brien completed a treble when The Gurkha (11-8) ran right away with the Kilberry (C & G) Maiden.< Lily's Rainbow caused a shock by leading her rivals a merry dance in the Heritage Stakes.
Rated just 89 but fourth in the Irish Lincolnshire last time, the 16-1 chance was allowed an uncontested lead in the Listed heat and never looked like being caught, with Brendan Brackan getting closest but still three and a quarter lengths adrift at the line.< Spader (13-2) was another to make every post a winning one, sprinting four lengths clear of his Come To The Family Day May 15th Handicap rivals for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane.
Odds-on favourite Cr & egrave;me De La refused to go in the stalls for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, which went the way of the front-running Misty Millie (16-1) in the hands of Keane.
Pat Shanahan's consistent Charlies Missile (13-2) finally got off the mark in the Navan Welcomes Owners Today Handicap.