Brendan Bracken leads home Black Hawk War (navy) and Tipstaff (blue)© Photo Healy Racing
Brendan Bracken made it back to back wins in the Listed corkracecourse.ie Navigation Stakes, as he made all to score under an enterprising Gary Carroll ride.
Without a win since his victory in this race twelve months ago, the Ger Lyons trained son of Big Bad Bob was sent off a 9/2 chance for this one mile contest.
Soon in front under Carroll, the seven-year-old gelding took a few lengths out of the field with over two furlongs to race, and he kept up the gallop when ridden, going on to score by three and a half lengths.
The 2/1 favourite Black Hawk War had to settle for second under Donnacha O'Brien for his father Aidan, while Tipstaff was another length and a half back in third under Kevin Manning for Jim Bolger at 7/2.
Shane Lyons said afterwards: "I love it when a plan comes together! That has been the plan since last year and he loves Cork.
"Gary (Carroll) knows him and gave him a brilliant ride - if he gave a horse as good a ride as that again I'd be surprised as that was a super ride. We knew exactly what we were doing going out - kicking off the bend and if something was going to beat him, it was going to be very difficult on that ground, especially for a three year old.
"He loves that trip, ground and is professional out.
"David Spratt is part-owner with Sean Jones and lives 40 minutes away and the horse goes on his holidays now to Brendan Holland's Grove Stud which is local to him.
"He won't have many races next year but will come back here again. He's a horse who is worth his weight in salt to us as he also leads the good horses at home."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
