Forest Of Dreams picks up well for Heffernan

Coill Avon made a bold bid from the front to give Ger Lyons and Colin Keane a quick double at Navan in the 2-y-o (C&G) maiden, but uphill over the final furlong and a half Forest Of Dreams (16/5) really found his stride to collar the leader and score by two and a quarter lengths.

5/4 favourite Puerto De Vega finished last of five.

Ridden by Seamie Heffernan for Aidan O’Brien, the No Nay Never colt had shown some potential when fifth behind stablemate Chief Little Hawk over a slightly shorter trip at the course last month.

The winner cost £900,000 at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale at Newmarket, and is entered in the Railway and Phoenix Stakes later in the summer.

Winning rider Seamie Heffernan said: “I'd say from now on the maidens are going to hotten up and be competitive.

“I rode the winner Chief Little Hawk (when Forest Of Dreams was fifth on his debut) and it was a bit of a rush to get him there for Ascot. He hasn't performed since but the rush might have been against him.

“When you can space out the runs and then you're happy you can take a chance but Royal Ascot only comes around once a year and you have to throw what you have at it and hopefully make the right decision.

“I always knew I was going to get him (the front-runner Coill Avon) when I wanted.

“He has plenty of pluses. He has a great mind and he has scope. He's got tactical pace and he finished up the hill. He has plenty going for him.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson