Murtagh and Meade ready to strike in Navan

Sunday World

2 days ago

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Nautical Force ready to make waves on local track
She ran a cracker on debut at nearby Bellewstown when beaten by half a length by even money hotpot Parkside Lad where she was slightly awkward at the road crossing late on.
Picked up for just €8,500 at the Tattersalls Yearling Sales last September, the Starman filly already looks a snip and she sets a fair standard here. There are some very interesting first timers though and the betting market could be the best guide to their prospects while The Right One and Salacious have already shown promise on the racecourse.
Johnny Murtagh's NAUTICAL FORCE (2.50) has certainly made waves this season, kicking off with a snug maiden win over ten furlongs on soft ground at Cork.
The bookies, both off course and in the betting ring at Mallow, won't forget that race in a hurry as he landed some nice wagers in the process, from 10/1 in the morning trading to 10/3 jolly at the off. Nautical Force then chased home a smart Paddy Twomey winner Arouet on a better surface at Roscommon.
Johnny Murtagh saddles Nautical Force in Navan. Photo: Thomas Doolin/Sportsfile.
While there was certainly plenty to build on there, an assignment in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot looked pretty ambitious for his next outing particularly considering his relative inexperience for a streetfight like that. But, as so often before, Murtagh knew exactly what he was doing and the Paddy Woods owned gelding ran a blinder.
Despite racing a bit too keenly for Ben Coen and having to be switched out when badly squeezed for room approaching the business end, he finished a close fourth to Merchant, who holds an entry for the Group 1 King George back at Ascot later this month.
And second home in the red hot contest at the Royal knees-up was Serious Contender who of course then gave stablemate Lambourn a scare when filling the same position in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.
Today's four runner affair at Proudstown sees Nautical Force returning to much calmer waters, and he proved at Ascot that, despite winning in the mud at Cork, he is perfectly happy on a fast surface which he will certainly encounter here.
When Rock of Cashel made all at the Galway Festival last year for Wayne Lordan, he looked yet another potential star rolling off the Ballydoyle conveyer belt, and indeed he next appeared in the Futurity at The Curragh where he didn't look at all out of place when a respectable last of four to Henri Matisse, Hotazhell and Scorthy Champ.
However it's been a gradual decline from there, and he was pacemaker for Delacroix on occasions this season.
That Galway victory was his lone success, but Lordan could well repeat the Ballybrit tactics to very good effect here, and Nautical Force would need to be fully recovered from his Ascot exertions to cope.
While easy in the market, the Donnacha O'Brien trained Professor Longhair looked a lovely sort when scooting home first time out at Dundalk, but he never landed a blow when taking a big leap in class in the Tetrarch at headquarters where he was last of eight to Officer. He was 33/1 there and is hard to assess, but we'll find out a bit more here.
At Sligo today CORNMARKET (4.10) can follow up his recent popular success at the course. Trained on a beach near Ballina by John Cullen it was a particularly welcome victory for John who had to take a break from training for over a year and his 7 lbs. claiming jockey Alan King had good reason to celebrate too as it was his first winner since November 2020!
An 8 lbs. hike will make life more difficult for all concerned here but he should still have the edge over another recent course winner Ladiam.
Despite having raced 85 times, THE LITTLE YANK (4.45) retains all his appetite for the game and John Ryan's recent Kilbeggan scorer can resume winning ways back over hurdles here having finished third over fences at Tipperary in the meantime.