Shaihaan wins Listed Navigation Stakes at Killarney for Donnacha O'Brien

Shaihaan won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Navigation Stakes for Donnacha O’Brien and Chris Hayes at Killarney on Monday. Sent off the 3/1 favourite, the three-year-old got up close home to beat Manton Bay by three-quarters of a length in the Listed contest.

The race found a new home at short notice. It was due to be run at Cork last Tuesday, only for that meeting to be abandoned after the fourth race because of high winds. Killarney stepped in, and the field was cut to eight after Magnum Cor, Mr Vettori and Millhone were all withdrawn on the day.

Shaihaan takes charge at Killarney

This was a well-timed ride from Hayes. Settled in touch as Alphecca set a steady gallop, Shaihaan only began to make his move a furlong out. He was still having to work hard to reel in the leaders inside the final 110 yards, but he found plenty for pressure and ran on strongly to lead in the final strides.

The going had eased from yielding to soft to soft after the opener, and Shaihaan’s only previous win came when he hacked up in a maiden on soft to heavy ground at the Curragh in March. He has been knocking on the door in good company since, finishing fourth in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown, third in the Gallinule Stakes and fifth in the Irish Derby at 33/1. A disappointing fifth-place finish in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood followed, but back on a soft surface he was able to get his head in front again.

It is a deserved first black-type success for Shaihaan, and there could well be more to come from him on this sort of ground.

Manton Bay and Caught U Sleeping fill the places

David Marnane’s Manton Bay, a 7/2 shot, ran another fine race in defeat under Billy Lee. Raced wide three furlongs out, he made good headway on the outer two furlongs out and was challenging inside the final furlong, but could not hold off the winner. He was already a course winner, having landed a rated race here in August, and he finished second in the Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh at the end of that month. He is a thoroughly consistent sort.

Noel Meade’s Caught U Sleeping was half a length further back in third at 5/1. The filly was prominent throughout and had every chance in the final 110 yards before her effort flattened out. She won the Naas Oaks Trial in May and has since placed in the Lancashire Oaks and Give Thanks Stakes, so the form looks solid. Alphecca was a neck away in fourth after making the running.

There was disappointment for Aidan O’Brien’s Action though, who was also sent off at 7/2. He was held up before briefly looking threatening. However, he faded to finish sixth of eight in his first run for some time without needing to make the pace for his stablemates.