Navy Girl and Er Dancer became the second and third horses respectively to record a second victory of the new season, just four weekends into the 2020/21 campaign, as they join the undefeated High Stakes in that category.
Colin Bowe’s five-year-old Navy Girl was the first mare to do so this season as she swiftly followed-up her victory at Ballingarry on the opening day of the season.
An eight-length winner on that occasion, the Rebecca Surman-owned daughter of Westerner was the clear form selection for Saturday’s Gortnamoney Farm mares’ winner-of-two contest at Moira, and having had to take the field along for a part of the opening circuit, the five-year-old eased alongside the returning Drumconnor Girl rounding the home bend.
From there she was easily able to account for just five rivals, returning on the bridle with a very comfortable five lengths to spare over the aforementioned James Lambe-trained Drumconnor Girl.
With the Milestone Stables operator absent, winning rider Barry O’Neill, who won four races across the weekend, reported: “The owners probably wanted to go to the sales but this race popped up in the meantime so we said we’d take our chance and she won as she liked. She’s a very smart filly.”
With that date at the sales like next on her agenda, she is unlikely to continue to work her way through the ranks in the points sphere, which would not seem to be the case for the weekend’s other back-to-back victor as Er Dancer is likely to go in search of the hat-trick following his victory in the Loughrea concluder on Sunday.
Donnchadh Doyle’s charge was appearing for the third time this season, and the recent Necarne scorer was forced to dig deep in order to double his tally as he just overcame the challenge of the Bandon winner Peggy Gordon by a short head in the VP Shields Memorial winner-of-one contest.
The success was a second of the season for the Co. Carlow rider Ross Foley.
With the Ballingarry winner Marinero disappointing behind Mount Colah on Saturday, none of this season’s open winners have won more than won race yet, as Sunday’s contest in the division saw the once exciting youngster, A Rated, defy a 760-day absence and beat Rewritetherules and the 2018 Paddy Power Chase winner Auvergnat.
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