Bondi Beach (left) is pushed out by Seamie Heffernan to beat Toe The Line© Photo Healy Racing
Bondi Beach put in a workmanlike performance to win the feature at Navan today, the Group 3 Coolmore Vintage Crop Stakes.
Successful in a Listed contest on his seasonal reappearance at Limerick last month, the four-year-old son of Galileo was expected to follow-up today.
Sent off the 1/9 favourite he was settled in third by Seamie Heffernan as Silwana made the running.
He was pushed along with over two furlongs to race, and came to challenge Toe The Line on the outer at the furlong pole.
He was soon ridden to the front, and despite an awkward head carriage close home, he kept on to score by a length and a half.
Toe The Line finished second at 8/1 under Colin Keane for John Kiely, while Silwana was last of the three, a further four and a quarter lengths back.
Zannda (in season) was early pulled out of the contest.
Joseph O'Brien said afterwards: "When he gets to the front he idles. He settled well and it was a very tactical race. The one in front didn't go very quick.
"I don't know whether he'll go for the Saval Beg before the Gold Cup or straight to Ascot.
"You'd be very happy with that."
Bondi Beach was completing a double on the card for his trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Seamie Heffernan, after they were earlier successful with Washington DC
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
