Rich Coast is driven clear by Niall McCullagh in the Listed Navigation Stakes© Photo Healy Racing
Rich Coast completed a day to remember for Johnny Murtagh when taking the featured corkracecourse.ie Navigation Stakes.
Murtagh, who earlier described training and riding Royal Diamond to gain a last gasp victory in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot as “the best day of my life” will have derived further great satisfaction from this Listed race success for his chief patron Andrew Tinkler.
Niall McCullagh, who also rode the five-year-old to score in the mud here back in March, had the son of King’s Best prominent throughout as 6/5 favourite Brendan Brackan set the pace.
The 5/1 chance gradually got on top inside the final furlong to score by a length and a quarter, with Beacon Lodge another three lengths adrift in third.
Murtagh’s wife Orla said, “Niall rode him during the week and he went very well. He loves that ground and we were quietly confident today. He’ll go for the Trigo Stakes at Leopardstown next Saturday.”
When questioned why she didn’t make the trip to Ascot, Mrs Murtagh replied, “That’s the difference between being a trainer’s wife and a jockey’s wife!
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
