Cadeau Belle and Ben Coen win the Kooyonga Stakes at Navan. © Photo Healy Racing
Cadeau Belle maintained her unbeaten record when stepping up markedly from her maiden success to run out an impressive winner of the Listed Darley Irish EBF Kooyonga (Filles & Mares) Stakes at Navan.
The Johnny Murtagh trained three-year-old had made a winning racecourse debut when successful at Gowran Park last month but faced a huge rise in class on just her second career start.
However, under stable jockey Ben Coen, the daughter of Harry Angel quickened up smartly on the outside of the field to run out an impressive winner. Maybe Just Maybe took the field along at a good clip, with Giladah and Cigamia emerging as serious dangers early in the straight.
Coen travelled noticeably well in their slipstream on the once-raced Murtagh runner, before delivering his challenge inside the final furlong.
Johnny Murtagh said: "It was always a lucky track for me and they never forget their own!
"She won a maiden nicely and Ben said he liked her and he doesn't say it too often!
"Ben rode her work last week and thought she had improved.
"It was a very competitive Listed race today and I was hoping that she could come on, she was a little bit unexposed but that was a very good performance.
"I'm delighted for Tony Smurfit, he bought her after the last race. In fairness, he picked her out and said he liked the look of her. It is always nice when you sell one on and they go and improve.
"I think she is a nice filly in the making. We will have a look and see what is around Derby weekend. She deserves a step up into Group 3 class now."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham
