Isaac Newton continues winning thread for Aidan O’Brien at Navan Ryan Moore put Derby day disappointment behind him when conjuring a flying finish from Isaac Newton to get up on the line in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Hill Of Tara Stakes at Navan. The former champion jockey had looked set to add to a mountain of frustration following Benvenuto Cellini’s controversial flop at Epsom when finding all sorts of trouble in running in the Navan feature. But after gifting first run to the field aboard the Aidan O’Brien-trained Camelot colt, returning here from a disappointment over further in the Lingfield Derby Trial, Moore delivered a brilliant finish to nail warm favourite Hotazhell on the line at a price of 5-1. “Ryan has given him a helluva ride,” said Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong. “Ryan felt from riding him on his last run in Lingfield, to bring him back in trip and to ride him that way. That was the way to ride him and, in fairness, it worked out. “He appreciated the mile and one here, and he didn’t mind the ease in the ground at all.” Armstrong added: “I’d say we will probably try to keep him to nine furlongs and maybe go to Leopardstown for the Group Three Meld Stakes in the middle of July. Now we have found his trip, just let him progress.” Stewards took a look at the closing stages again after the front three flashed past the post locked together with Hotazhell, who drifted right under pressure close home, demoted to third with Geryon promoted to runner-up. Rookie trainer Daniel McLoughlin was celebrating the biggest win of his fledgling career after a stable one-two with Duckadilly and Syzygy in the Listed Darley Irish EBF Kooyonga Stakes just over half an hour later. Last week the trainer’s first experience at top level left a sour taste when Magny Cours had her chances spoiled before the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh when the filly had to trot up for 40 minutes before the race to satisfy racecourse vets. This time round the 24-year-old was in dreamland after locking out the finish of the extended one-mile Listed contest, Ben Coen getting 7-1 shot Duckadilly home in front of 50-1 outsider Syzygy. “To win my first black-type race here and to have the one-two as well is unbelievable,” said McLoughlin. “That was great and I couldn’t imagine it working out like that. It is magical really.” He added: “You just have to move on (from the Magny Cours incident) – I’ll stop when the clock does and the clock doesn’t stop! You have to move on. Life always challenges you no matter what you do. “We had Duckadilly in the sale last year and we weren’t getting what we wanted for her. We took her back and the plan was to try and win a stakes race and maybe go back to the sales.”
