The Arkle Bar Handicap at Navan saw two of them stamp their authority in the sixteen horse field and it was Face Off that proved best of all for Charles O’Brien and Declan McDonogh.

Shedding her maiden tag at the tenth time of asking 14/1 shot Face Off upstaged Art Of Unity close home by half a length with the pair drawing on by four and a half lengths from the third home Early Call

“She was good today. She ran well for me here when second last year. That was over the five-and-a-half that day so I made plenty of use of her today and let her go forward,” reflected McDonogh.

“She was good out of the gates, travelled well into it and stuck at it well. She's not straight-forward, she's a bit giddy, but she was on her game today and stuck her head out and battled well.

“Hopefully she might win another one in that grade, he can't put her up too much. She's a fun little filly.”

(GC & EM)