Aguiar predicts bright future for Navan scorers

Supreme Lord looks ready for a step up in grade judged on a dominant front-running victory in the opening race at Navan on Thursday.

Having shown a decent level of ability on his first three starts, Robson Aguiar’s charge was the 11-8 favourite stepping into handicap company for the first time in the Navan Racecourse Nursery and pulled three and three-quarter lengths clear under Billy Lee.

“He’s a horse that we have always liked. He is learning how to race and is still babyish,” said Aguiar.

“Billy thought he had a lot in the tank and said he could go seven furlongs. It is good that he got confidence from today and learned how to go off the bridle.

“There’s plenty of power in that horse. I think when he starts to learn in races he could turn into a real nice horse.”

Aguiar doubled up in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden with another short-priced favourite in Atlantic Bridge.

Fourth in his first two races at the Curragh, the son of Dubawi Legend was an 8-11 shot to make it third time lucky and was not fully extended by Wayne Lordan to score by just under three lengths.

Aguiar added: “Two races on his back and today he’s getting more professional.

“He has put his head in front and I think he is going to improve again. He is getting more mature and stronger – he is a nice horse for the future.

“On Irish Champions Weekend there is a sales race for him (Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes, Curragh) and I think that is what we will go for.”

Ger Lyons and Colin Keane also teamed up to claim two winners, with Amiata (4-1) a narrow victor in the Navan Racing Festival Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now Handicap before stablemate This That (9-2) denied the odds-on Leadlight by a short head in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Optional Claiming Maiden.

Of Amiata, Lyons said: “He will go to the Champions Weekend now because it (Bold Lad Sprint Handicap) is the obvious race, but he’s probably not good enough at three for that sort of competition.

“We were always training him to be that sort of horse for his owner at four and five. You can see him physically growing. He’s not ready for the big time yet.

“You don’t have to over-face him this year and these types of races will suit him. If he didn’t go to Champions Weekend, there’s a race back here and he would probably go there.”