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Punchestown 2024
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Review navan 21st Oct
Aidan O'Brien's domination of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Navan continued when Flying Cross ran out an emphatic winner.
The master of Ballydoyle had won the last five renewals of the race, including with Fame And Glory last year, and his 4-6 favourite settled nicely in fourth under Johnny Murtagh.
First Akinndi and then Brazilian Beauty tried to stretch the winner, but once Murtagh asked Flying Cross to pick up, he went on well to score by three and a half lengths from Brazilian Beauty, with Ballydoyle's Falcon Flight staying on for third.
Murtagh and O'Brien enjoyed a quick double when Purple Heart landed the Navan Golf Captain Nursery Handicap.
Murtagh held the 6-1 chance on a tight rein before hitting the front at the two-furlong pole, and though he didn't do a great deal once clear, he had enough to beat Captains Dilemma by three-quarters of a length.
Those successes put Murtagh back in pole position for the jockeys' title, as he leads Pat Smullen by one win, 82-81.
Harry Rogers' Gandolfini (5-1 favourite) defied a 5lb penalty for his recent Cork success when slicing through the pack to land the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap under Darren Byrne.
Rogers and Byrne completed a double when landing the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap courtesy of Mid Mon Lady
The 11-1 chance came with a withering run down the near rail to score in good style.
The line came just in time for 4-1 chance White Front as he repelled the charging Buy Back Bob by a head to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden under Declan McDonogh.< Our Nana Rose (9-2) produced a strong late surge to land division one of the Garlow Cross Handicap, while it was a similar story in the second instalment, as Daisy Buchanan (16-1) got up close home to score.