El Fabiolo beaten by 50/1 Senecia at Navan

The Grade Two contest was expected to present the perfect opportunity for El Fabiolo to get back on track after falling on his belated reappearance at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Sent off at 4/11 he travelled sweetly for Paul Townend but jumping two out it was clear he had a battle on his hooves as the winner led the way.

And it was obvious on landing after the last that it was a losing battle for the market leader despite his rider’s urgings, Senecia, who pulled up in the same Leopardstown race last month, ran on strongly to score by a length-and-a-quarter.

It was four lengths back to Fil D’Or in third.

Winning owner Owner Laurence Halley said: “Wonderful, wonderful! A brave horse and he’s a great jumper. He jumped as good as any of them in the Fortria (third in November). He has been highly tried and we thought the ground would find him out today, but he handled it.

“He was a €16,500 foal and we kept him as a Covid carry over (as he did not sell at the sales). Navan has been a lucky place for me, I won the Fortria with Arctic Skipper and Sean Flanagan (in 2016). We got home a short head from all the big boys again! I’d say it will be Fairyhouse next or Punchestown.”

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