Navassa Island booked for better things after breaking duck to confirm promise of Naas debut

The future had looked bright for the Michael O'Callaghan-trained Navassa Island after she was narrowly beaten in a Naas Group 3 on her debut in May, and, following a couple of reverses, she found her feet again when running out a decisive winner of the opening juvenile maiden.

Since her Naas debut Navassa Island had finished down the field in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and been beaten at odds-on in a 7f maiden at Leopardstown, but back over six furlongs here she quickened nicely up the hill under Dylan Browne McMonagle to score going away by three-quarters of a length from She's Quality.

The first and second stuck to the far side, although the runner-up had Group 3 form of her own, so it might simply have been a case of them being the best horses in the race.

O'Callaghan said: "We've always liked her and I'm delighted for her owners Rabbah Bloodstock, who bought her after her first run. We went to Ascot thinking we had a live one but it just didn't work out for her. That can happen with an inexperienced two-year-old going to Ascot. She'd come out of her Leopardstown race well and dropping back to six here suited her lovely."

He added: "Dylan gave her a lovely ride and she looks like she will continue to improve. She settles and relaxes. She's in the Debutante, but we might just stay at six and step her up in grade.

"The aim now is to win a stakes race. Something like the Firth of Clyde Stakes might be for her. She handles an ease in the ground and it's all about adding to her black type now."

York plan for Unless

The Yorkshire Oaks may be the next step for the Aidan O'Brien-trained Unless after the daughter of Justify handled the step up to a mile and a quarter in the feature Listed fillies' contest.

There was a false start after two of the gates failed to open, but luckily none of the other participants got very far and the malfunction proved temporary.

Jockey Gary Carroll, partnering his first winner for Ballydoyle, produced a fine front-running ride, showing lots of trust in her stamina, and the winner led before halfway and stayed on strongly up the rail to see off favourite Azazat by a length and three-quarters.

O'Brien said: "She always looked like she'd get that trip. She's a typical Justify over a Classic trip. She could even get further as Gary said she galloped all the way down to the boards."

Brief scare for Coen

Rider Jake Coen collapsed after dismounting from runner-up Zileo in the parade ring after the 1m6f handicap. Thankfully, he made a full recovery after being attended to by the track's medical team, headed by doctors Richard Downey and Adrian McGoldrick.

Billy Lee, just two behind champion Colin Keane at the top of the jockeys' standings, was given a four-day ban for using his whip with excessive frequency on Bella Blue Eyes, runner-up in the concluding fillies' handicap.

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