'Horses like him are hard to come across' - Colin Keane full of praise for Mutasarref after notching win number ten

They don't come much more reliable than Mutasarref, who notched win number ten and a sixth at stakes level when comfortably landing the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Navigation Stakes for trainer Ger Lyons. 

He might be six, but the figures suggest Mutasarref is getting better with age as he backed up a fine second to Diego Velazquez at the Irish Champions Festival with a pretty straightforward success. Favourite backers never really had an anxious moment. 

Colin Keane has never hidden his admiration for the gelded son of Dark Angel and he showered him with more praise after this, telling Racing TV: "Horses like him are hard to come across and we'll make the most of him while we have him."

The five-time champion jockey added: "His record speaks for itself. When we got him first he was very progressive, then he had his little injury and it probably took him most of last year to get over it. This year he's come back to his very best, and even better than that. He turns up every day.

"The last day could definitely have been his career-best performance. Giving 5lb to Diego Velazquez was a hard feat. To get as close as he did was some run."

Aidan O'Brien's recent runaway Listowel maiden winner Dublin set the tempo, but Keane stalked him into the straight and once Mutasarref quickened to lead a furlong out it was race over. 

The winning distance was a length, with two lengths back to Irish Cambridgeshire winner Wigmore Street in third. 

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