The Navan stewards didn't get much time to settle into their stride yesterday evening before being called into action after the opening sprint handicap.
The 14 to 1 shot Shahnaad, trained on the Curragh by Declan Carroll, crossed the line placed seventh behind the winner, Social Harmony but didn't appear to get an overly hard ride from apprentice Mark Donnellan.
Carroll told the stewards, who noted his comments, that he wasn't happy with Donnellan's ride. Donnellan, who is apprenticed to John Muldoon, was told he did not put the horse into the race, had made insufficient effort and, as a result, Shahnaad had not run on its merits. Donnellan was given a 10-day ban and Shahnaad banned from racing for 42 days.
The officials were also active after the Drumree Handicap. This time the 14 to 1 shot Sea Birds Treasure beat What A Scene by a length and a half but after starting his run in the middle of the track, Sea Birds Treasure drifted right over to the far rail, with Declan McDonogh using his whip in his right hand, and caused Seamus Heffernan to snatch up on the second.
"It didn't look good," said Sea Birds Treasure's trainer, Declan Gillespie, when the inquiry was called, while Heffernan said: "He crossed me and squeezed me." Nevertheless, Sea Birds Treasure was allowed keep the prize, although McDonogh, riding his fifth winner of the season, was handed a one-day ban for careless riding.
The quality performance of the evening, though, came in the fillies maiden when the Aga Khan-owned newcomer, Dabaya, looked the part before, during and after the race.
John Murtagh sent her to the front five furlongs out and then Dabaya quickened away impressively in the straight to beat Star Begonia by four lengths.
"You would pick her out in any string and she should go on. She's in the Silver Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday week which will be a good test, and she's well entered up in the Epsom and Irish Oaks as well as the Ribblesdale," said John Oxx.
Murtagh also won the juvenile maiden on Eddie Lynam's My Chief, who beat Rainbows Forever by three parts of a length, much to Lynam's relief.
"He's the most expensive I've bought, at 31,000 guineas, and when he was beaten the first day I almost committed suicide." Lynam confessed he thought My Chief was not as good as Rolo Tomasi but was a different horse yesterday.
Despite hanging, It's Time For a Win did just that on his debut in the bumper, and Walt finally broke his hurdling duck by a neck from Bulwark Hill in the maiden hurdle.
