Chief Little Hawk© Photo Healy Racing
Impressive winner Chief Little Hawk his sire Air Force Blue and jockey Seamie Heffernan have each made blistering starts to new respective 'jobs' as the trio combined to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Navan today.
Former Champion two year old Air Force Blue made a winning start as an American based stallion in the past week stateside and his first runner in Ireland, the Aidan O'Brien trained Chief Little Hawk today was his first European winner.
Chief Little Hawk's rapid pace from the stalls mirrors jockey Heffernan's own swift start (five winners this week) to the postponed flat season with Chief Little Hawk maintaining his gallop to make all for a length and a quarter win over Blue Panther.
Following Chief Little Hawk's win Heffernan reported “he's been showing speed at home. The few Air Force Blues that we have have been showing loads to pace.
“Aidan said, ride him as you find him and if he leaves the gates let him go. I liked the feel he gave me.”
The stars are aligning for Heffernan, 47, who has been understudy to Ballydoyle's Champion Jockeys Michael Kinane, Jamie Spencer, Kieren Fallon, Johnny Murtagh and the O'Brien brothers in the past and is now seemingly Ballydoyle's first choice Irish-based rider with Ryan Moore's British lockdown.
Paddy Power make last year's Derby winner Heffernan 2/1 second favourite behind Colin Keane (4/6) to be Irish Champion Jockey.
Quotes from Gary Carson
