Sir Lucan (Wayne Lordan nearside) just beats Wordsworth (Seamie Heffernan)© Photo Healy Racing
Ballydoyle hadn’t any joy over at Newbury as Lope Y Fernandez disappointed in the Lockinge. Back on home soil though at Navan they doubled up as Sir Lucan led home an Aidan O’Brien one two in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes.
Seamie Heffernan rode their earlier scorer, The Entertainer but he was beaten in the centre-piece of the programme as odds-on Wordsworth (8/13 into 8/15) had to give best near the line to Wayne Lordan’s mount Sir Lucan (13/2 - 15/2 -11/2).
Bouncing back after a Sandown under-performance just over three weeks back, the successful up-in-trip Camelot colt is 20/1 from 50/1 with Paddy Power for the Derby, and 12/1 1st show for the Leger.
Here he possibly had a better trip round than Wordsworth who had to do a lot of the ‘donkey-work’ up front.
Wordsworth edged right when asked for the maximum. Another, like Sir Lucan, by Camelot, third home Party House wandered about over a furlong out.
They were separated by a neck and three and a half lengths at the line.
“He had a very good run to finish fourth in a Group 2 as a two-year-old and he was always going to come forward a lot when stepping up in trip,” said Lordan.
“He stayed very well. We went a good even gallop, he travelled, quickened and dug deep. I hit the line well.”
Heffernan commented on the runner-up:- “One word — disappointing. I thought we might as well go a gallop, and see what does and doesn't stay.
“The winner was fourth in a Group 2 on slow ground and when there is an ease in the ground it's going to suit him. My horse was disappointing, there is no other comment I can give.”
(GC & EM)
