Champion Bumper winner Jasmin De Vaux wins at Navan

A popular winner of the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last March, the Simon Munir & Isaac Souede-owned gelding suffered his first defeat when down the field in the Champion INH Flat Race at Punchestown in May.

However, he was a warm order (1/3 favourite) to make a winning start over hurdles at Navan on Saturday, and made a pleasing enough start under Paul Townend, travelling well and pulling clear with eventual runner-up The Enabler (9/2).

Sent to the front despite a novicey jump at the last, Jasmin De Vaux quickened nicely after landing and won going away at the line.

The Henry De Bromhead-trained Workahead (8/1) was third.

“The engine is there, but the jumping needs working on,” said Townend. “He’ll get confidence – a bit more practice is what he needs. As I say the engine is in there. It is a lot harder to put an engine in one than teach him to jump.”

Sponsors Sky Bet have the winner at 16/1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, with Paddy Power marginaly more impressed with quotes of 14/1.

The Yellow Clay leaves it late in Navan feature

Odds-on favourite The Yellow Clay snatched victory in the final strides of the Tote Navan Novice Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old was second in the Grade One bumper at Punchestown at the end of last season and has made a superb start to his hurdling career so far.

After winning on debut by nine lengths in November he then won the Grade Three Monksfield Novice Hurdle by 10 lengths at Navan.

Returning to the same course and distance, this time at Grade Two level, the gelding was the 4-11 favourite under Sam Ewing.

He looked booked for second place, however, as Fleur In The Park led in the home straight but he would not stop battling and just managed to edge ahead close home to win by a neck.

“He had his head in front at the right time which is always a good sign in a horse,” said Elliott. “I’d say the second horse (Fleur In The Park) got a good ride, he got the fractions right and he kicked at the right time. He nearly caught us out.

“I told Sam not to be in front too soon, he rode our horse to instructions. He is winning, so that is all that matters. He’s learning how to race.”

Owner Noel Moran added: “To be honest, I thought we were in trouble after the last. It was a good, battling performance.”

Elliott springs a surprise

Magic Boum also made a winning debut under rules for Gordon Elliott in the Mervyn Gray Construction Maiden Hurdle.

The four-year-old won her sole point-to-point start in February and was a 10-1 shot under Sam Ewing, though her chances improved greatly when Mullins’ 1-3 favourite, Kaid D’authie, fell early on.

Magic Boum went on to score by three-quarters of a length, with the trainer saying: “That was a bit of a surprise.

“I thought she would run a nice race there and maybe go back for a bumper but, with the favourite (Kaid D’authie) falling, the race was there.

“Being in front so long probably didn’t suit her. After the mistake at the last, she was tough, it was great she won.”

It was a successful afternoon for Ewing and Elliott as the rider took three of the eight races across the card, with Magic Boum, The Yellow Clay and Sa Fureur (9/4 favourite) obliging, with Elliott training all three plus He Can’t Dance (2/99 favourite) to win the concluding bumper under Harry Swan.

McManus outsider springs surprise

Division two of the same race then went to Colm Murphy’s Goraibhmaithagat, who was a successful by two lengths under Simon Torrens having started at 16-1.

He was another making his debut under rules with a point-to-point win already on his CV, and is owned by JP McManus having been bred by his wife Noreen.

Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus, said: “He did his job nicely in the point-to-point last year and we came here hoping he would run a nice race, and improve for the run.

“He did it nicely and jumped well and everything – delighted with him. They mightn’t have gone mad in the race, but you’d like the way he picked them up and stayed on. A fine, big, nice horse. It is a grand start for him.”

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