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Murtagh & Coen take the last at Naas with Vanir

VanirVanir
© Healy Racing Photos

Ben Coen made plenty of use of Vanir to take the concluding SIS, Supporting Irish Racing Fillies Handicap at Naas.

Sent off 4/1 joint-favourite, Newtown Anner Stud's homebred daughter of Teofilo had won over 1m4f earlier in the campaign and was second over 1m5f on her most recent outing.

Here, she led after half a mile and stayed won well in the straight to defeat last year's winner Speckled Meadow by two and three-quarter lengths.

“She's a big strong galloper and gets through the ground well,” said winning trainer Johnny Murtagh.

“I didn't have any fear of bringing her back to a mile-and-a-quarter, especially with the soft ground.

“We said we'd let her stride along today. She got a little bit held up the last day in Down Royal.

“Ben said she has a big engine and gallops well. Hopefully we'll get to keep her for next year, I think she'll be a nice four-year-old.

“She should progress, like most of Maurice's (Regan) horses. She should only get better with a bit of time.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

1st
4/1JFav
Tote €5.00 €1.70
2nd
2.75L
10/1
€3.90
3rd
6L
4/1JFav
€1.90
4th
0.75L
8/1
About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.