Back In Front back in control

Racing Navan report: It may have been an all-flat eight-race card at Navan yesterday, but many National Hunt trainers will have left the Proudstown venue in a positive state of mind after the most interesting event of the day, the two-mile maiden.

Several familiar names from the jumping game were using this contest as the starting-point to their campaigns and if the triumphant Back In Front can continue in a similar vein, then his trainer Edward O'Grady and all of his connections have plenty to look forward to in the coming months.

There was simply no denying how impressive the seven-year-old was on his return to action after a 289-day lay-off. Leading over a furlong out he settled the issue in a matter of strides, quickly stretching clear.

Indeed Jamie Spencer could afford the luxury of easing down the 9 to 2 shot close home for a three and a half length victory over Akilana. Spencer was also on the mark in the following maiden. Though Brian Boru's full-sister, Kitty O'Shea, swished her tail under pressure, the easy-to-back debutant had done enough after leading a furlong and a half out to hang on by a fast-diminishing head.

Ballydoyle's number one was on the wrong one in the colts and geldings maiden. The favourite, Down Mexico Way failed to catch stable companion, Yehudi, losing by the minimum margin.

Mullins Bay was another costly failure for Aidan O'Brien backers, when finding Noel Meade's Power Elite and Fran Berry too strong in the mile one furlong conditions race.

Berry then went on to match Spencer by completing a brace in the mile two furlong handicap. Like Power Elite, Al Eile was one of the top juvenile hurdlers from last term and John Queally's runner made light of a 167 day break to beat Dolphin Bay by three parts of a length.

Thomond O'Mara's Spanish Cove in the hands of Denis Hogan may have been the stable neglected according to the betting for the five-furlong handicap, but the 16 to 1 chance won by three and a half lengths.