Court Of Appeal shows determined attitude at Navan

Court Of Appeal battled back bravely under Conor Stone Walsh to take the concluding Cusack Hotel Group Family Raceday July 15th Handicap at Navan.

The subject of a significant gamble when just touched off at Dundalk on his last start, the Noel Hynds trained gelding recovered those losses with a really gritty performance here.

Always up with the pace, the six-year-old led early in the straight before being briefly headed well inside the final furlong. However, he found a renewed effort when asked for more by his rider, emerging on top close home to win by a neck.

Noel Hynds said: "I was hopeful he would go well. He did it really well and we will look for something similar this next two or three weeks.

"Conor (Stone-Walsh) is very good, I've been watching him and made a point the middle of last week to try and get him way before I even thought I was getting in. I wanted to claim off the horse with possibly being top-weight. It has worked out well.

"His last run a year and a half ago he came off the track sore and pulled a muscle. It took him a long time to come right.

"I was going to have him right for Dundalk and then I thought I would leave him to the spring and that has just landed us here sort of way.

"I'm training not far from Banbridge in Co Down - there's only four in training, I'm only a restricted trainer."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson