Dallas Star, ridden by Seamie Heffernan, wins the Ballysax

Dallas Star: Won maiden hurdle at Navan

Dallas Star wins maiden hurdle for Amo Racing and Emmet Mullins at Navan

Horse Racing

Sat September 19, 2026 · 1h ago

Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing had their first jumps winner with their first jumps runner when Dallas Star won at Navan on Saturday.

The five-year-old was making his hurdling debut for new trainer Emmet Mullins in the BAR 1 Betting "Download Our App" Maiden Hurdle and was sent off the 15/8 favourite under Donagh Meyler.

Always prominent, Dallas Star hit the front inside the final quarter mile and the son of Cloth Of Stars was driven out to hold his advantage and score by half-a-length from Tony Martin's En Or in second.

Dallas Star was a high-class Flat horse, winning the Ballysax on his three-year-old debut for Adrian Murray, and he was rated as high as 107 on the level.

Gelded before the turn of the year, he has been performing consistently on the Flat for Robson De Aguiar but looked an interesting recruit to the National Hunt game for Mullins.

He got off to the perfect start and both the sponsors and Paddy Power introduced him at 66/1 for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival next March.

Meyler said: "Delighted with him. It's an exciting time of year for Emmet and all the yard at home, it's nice to do that for the Amo team on their first runner over hurdles.

"I done it all, plenty of slow schooling done, hopefully he can come on again from that.

"It was his first run over hurdles and for a maiden there was plenty of experience in the race so all credit to Dallas Star."

Mullins got to Navan just in time to see the race and he said: "We had a car accident so I didn't get to give Donagh any late complications, everyone is okay thank God.

"We hadn't done any fast work with him, he was fit enough. To be fair to the horse he's shown plenty since day one.

"If his jumping keeps improving that will keep him at a good standard. Being a two-mile Flat horse he probably wants to go out in trip to two and a half miles."