Luke Comer strikes with another huge outsider as 200-1 chance topples 8-11 favourite

Luke Comer is no stranger to shocking the bookies and the trainer-owner did it again when 200-1 shot Navajo River landed the 1m4f apprentice maiden at Roscommon in a thrilling finish.

Comer struck with the 300-1 shot He Knows No Fear at Leopardstown back in 2020 and pulled off another training feat to get Navajo River, who had been beaten by a total of 80 lengths in his first three runs, home in front. Comer was also responsible for the third, Dark Miss, at 200-1.

Navajo River, who returned a Betfair starting price of 982-1, was settled towards the rear by jockey Paddy Harnett but made pleasing headway before turning into the home straight and sustained his effort to run down the 8-11 favourite Fisherman's Beach close home and win by a head.

"This is my first big, big priced winner," Harnett told RacingTV. "It was grand, he's a nice horse and he gave me a lovely feel going down to the start and he's a nice mover. They went quite hard early on and I ended up last coming up the straight the first time but I started to pass a few around the top.

"He gave me a beautiful ride the whole way around and it was easy. I came into the straight and thought 'I'll be in the first three anyway', got stuck into him and he took off. I got a gap when I needed it and he hit the line well. He's not too bad, it wasn't a bad race.

"He's very raw, that was his fourth run and going forward I'm sure there's plenty of improvement."

It was a 32nd win for the jockey, who was welcomed back into the winner's enclosure by Comer's assistant Jim Gorman.

"I don't know how that happened," Gorman said. "He was disappointing the last day and Gary [Carroll, jockey] got off him and said he was really green and that was all of the information I got. 

"Nobody had a bet today – miracles don't happen all of the time. He could be a nice staying horse and please God he'll go forward from there."

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