John Oxx and Jim Bolger both trained three winners apiece and John Bowles trained the other one. That was the basic story of Navan's re-scheduled meeting yesterday and Oxx himself summed up the general low key mood by quipping after the last race: 'The last one out can turn off the lights!'
The crowd was officially estimated by the course officials at a seemingly generous 1,000 and the Tote generated a paltry aggregate of £14,145 but the meeting was not without some talking points.
Most of them centred on the going which caught out a lot of trainers and resulted in the horses in the later races running up the centre of the track looking for better ground. But the form of the Bolger and Oxx horses was also significant.
Particularly so for Oxx who runs the Epsom Derby hope Sinndar in Sunday's Leopardtown Derby Trial. The Aga Khan's colours were beaten on the 4 to 7 Ezbek in the 10 furlong maiden but afterwards Korasoun beat Murawwi in the Tara Race and Gaudi broke his duck in the two mile maiden.
Both of those were ridden by John Murtagh but it was claimer Mary Williamson who rode Potentille to an easy defeat of the only other runner in the Dunsany Race, Catherina. It was Williamson's third winner and Oxx said: 'She's a very good rider and did a good job. If you make the pace, you can take the guessing out of a two-horse race.'
Korasoun could be stepped up to the Gallinule Stakes next and Oxx said: 'He's not a bad sort. He doesn't kill himself at home and he might be okay!'
Bolger's treble, in conjunction with rider Kevin Manning, paid total odds of nearly 185 to 1 and it was Via Rodeo who surprised most, having too much finishing toe for Worldly Treasure and Ezbek.
Aidan O'Brien's massive Ballydoyle team dominate the entries for Leopardstown's card on Sunday. The stable is responsible for no less than seven of the 14 runners who have stood their ground for the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial after the latest forfeit stage.
Among them are Royal Kingdom, Apollo Victoria, Mythological and Bashkir, all of whom hold alternative engagements at Lingfield on Saturday.
