Brendan finds way home in Navigation Stakes again

Any more success and the Navigation Stakes will have to be named after Brendan Brackan, as Cork's autumn Flat feature went to the Ger Lyons-trained stalwart for the second straight year and in very similar fashion.

This year's renewal looked a little more interesting than normal, as the experienced and well-established performers in the race were joined by a trio of promising and very unexposed three-year-olds. But Brendan Brackan was unstoppable from the front under Gary Carroll. Once kicking again in the straight, he established total control of the contest and in the end he was not flattered by his three-and-a-half length success over previously unbeaten Black Hawk War.

The winning trainer was represented by his assistant and brother Shane, who said: "You love it when a plan comes together. That's been the plan since he won this race last year and Gary gave him a brilliant ride, he kicked off the bend and any horse that was going to beat him from there was going to be involved in a dogfight.