Navan Saturday – Mia can be Queen for a day

14:00 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden

Isle of Innisfree has the form to win this, but cannot be backed with confidence after a mulish display at Bellewstown last time. He was a little slowly into stride there, but recovered to hold every chance in the straight, and simply looked unwilling to put it all in. That followed a poor run in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, and while it would be easy enough to forgive that effort in isolation, he’s now got two strikes against him, and both have come on quick ground. With the word firm in the going description here, he looks opposable, and another sub-par effort will hand the race to Rita Levi, who has run to a decent level on both starts to date. The daughter of Kodiac is still going the right way, and she looks the bet in the circumstances.

Tip: Back Rita Levi @

14:30 Foran Equine Irish EBF Fillies Auction Maiden

Queen Mia is a really interesting runner here, being from a family Dermot Weld has excelled with, her dam Agnetha winning the King George Stakes at Goodwood over 5f and her sire being the ultra-tough and prolific Famous Name. She holds a number of subsequent entries, most notably in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes over 7f, but it’s interesting that Weld chooses to start her at 5f despite there being no shortage of options for her over further. That suggests she has inherited plenty of speed, and if so, she could be hard to beat here. Sakura may open favourite, but while she showed a useful level of ability on debut, she also looked fully clued up, and may not have that much scope for immediate improvement. My idea of a bigger danger at this trip is another newcomer in the shape of Glamorous Power, who is bred to be sharp on both sides of her pedigree, her dam being the smart 5f winner Glamorous Spirit, who took the scalp of champion sprinter Reverence when taking the Group 3 Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh a few years ago.

Tip: Back Queen Mia @

17:15 Come Racing September 8^th Handicap

Full Disclosure went very close for this column on his penultimate outing, finding only the well-ridden Path of Silver too strong at Gowran. He was below that form turned out quickly at Tipperary, but seemed to find things happening a bit too quickly for him there, and he can bounce back now stepped up in trip. The key to him so far appears to be quick ground, so conditions give him every chance and this track ought to suit him. One who may be worth a saver at enormous odds is Paddy The Irishman, who is blinkered for the first time having finished behind the selection at Gowran. That was the Ger Lynch-trained geldings first run since April and he was entitled to need it. He was the subject of a quiet gamble at Dundalk in March (on the eve of the Cheltenham Festival) and didn’t shape too badly, so may not be totally devoid of ability. He’s off a basement mark here, and if the headgear unlocks some latent ability, then a shock is not out of the question.

Tip: Back Full Disclosure @