Best Love lands Navan’s opener Best Love (7/2) gained a timely juvenile success today, landing Navan’s opening Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden for joint-trainers Eddie and Patrick Harty, owners Patrick Fitzpatrick Racing and jockey Declan McDonogh. The daughter of Kodi Bear raced with the pace and held on gamely to score by three-parts of a length from Annie Batt . Eddie Harty stated “she toughed it out well although the race didn’t pan out exactly like we hoped. We knew it would take getting today coming up the hill, having originally due to be held at Bellewstown and this is as stiff as you’ll get over five furlongs. “It just didn’t pan out well but Deccie gave her a fantastic ride. He had to commit but waited as long as he could before he did and said afterwards that six (furlongs) would suit her better. “She could be a bit of fun for the back-end, she has a handicap mark already and I thought the handicapper was hard on her giving her 70, although maybe he knew something I didn’t. She showed a little bit but I couldn’t see where the 70 came from. Obviously, it was there as she’s after winning a maiden now. “We bought her off Peter McCutcheon, who bred her, and he stayed in for ‘a leg’. He was very keen to get a winner for the mare, as to win a two-year-old maiden is great for the catalogue.” Quotes from Gary Carson
