Easy for Imperial as Lee completes 239/1 treble Imperial Choice completed a treble for Billy Lee, as she ran out an easy winner of the first divide of the Racing Next At Navan On September 3rd Handicap. Title chasing Lee was earlier successful aboard Sioux Spirit and Marcher Lord, with his three-timer coming in at the odds of 239/1. Without a win since June of 2020, Imperial Choice failed to make an impact on her return to action at Gowran in May and was again well-beaten on her two starts since. Available at 16/1 for a time this morning, the Charles Byrnes-trained chestnut eventually went off a 7/1 chance in the colours of the Come Home Sober Syndicate. Settled towards rear, she made rapid headway from the two-furlong pole and led with a furlong to race, keeping on strongly from there to score by five lengths. The runner-up spot was filled by Benz (6/1) under Declan McDonogh for Gordon Elliott, while Guild (14/1) was another four-and-a-half-lengths back in third, with Chris Hayes aboard this Luke Comer trained gelding. Franno, for Ger and Colin Keane, was sent off the 7/2 favourite (from 6s early) and he finished fourth. "She broke a bit better today as she fell out of the stalls the last couple of days and was on the backfoot straight away," Byrnes said. "She got a chance to get into it on this galloping track. "It's a local syndicate, local to me and local to Billy Lee. "She's in Clonmel next Thursday so we'll keep her going now. It's an amateur race and she didn't have too hard a race today." STEWARDS REPORTS * The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer examined Walnut Beach, trained by Patrick J.Flynn, at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to be post race normal. * C.G. O'Dwyer, rider of Sawbuck trained by Conor O'Dwyer, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that his mount ran off the bend turning into the back straight. * G.M. Ryan, rider of Tenth Amendment trained by Keith Henry Clarke, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that his mount hung left in the straight. * The Stewards enquired into the apparent improvement in form of Imperial Choice, trained by C.Byrnes, placed first, compared with its recent form. Evidence was heard from the trainer concerned who stated that his charge ran at Killarney on the 13th July where she broke badly but did not run as bad as her finishing position. He added that she previously ran at Killarney on the 17th May where she did not handle the soft underfoot conditions. Six days previously she made her seasonal appearance at Gowran Park. In his opinion, the filly is quirky and hard to train. She handles good ground and needs to run over a trip and the way the race unfolded suited her with today's galloping track being to her liking . Evidence was also heard from Mr. G. O'Gorman, IHRB Senior Rules of Racing Handicapper. He summarised the horses three most recent runs. He added that the horse had dropped from a rating of sixty one to fifty four during this time. In his opinion there was a significant improvement in form. Mr O'Gorman also referenced the betting trends on this animal but C. Byrnes disagreed with some of the facts put forward on this subject. Having considered the evidence the Stewards noted the content of the report. Additional reporting by Alan Magee
