Navan, Saturday 25 April 2026 — Tips & Selections

Navan, Saturday 25 April 2026 — Tips & Selections

Good to yielding ground at Navan on Saturday sets up a fascinating afternoon headlined by three black-type contests. Aidan O'Brien saddles a strong hand across the card, but the stats for the yard over the last fortnight (5/35) suggest they are ticking over rather than flying. Joseph Patrick O'Brien's yard (9/54) and Johnny Murtagh (5/19) are both operating at a sharper clip relative to runners used. Keep that in mind as we work through the feature races.

2:30 — Irish Stallion Farms EBF Committed Stakes (Listed, 6f)

There is no point dressing this up. Charles Darwin at 1/2 is the correct favourite and will win this barring a setback. Norfolk Stakes winner, brother to Bluebeard, reportedly in good shape according to connections. Ryan Moore takes the ride. You do not oppose horses like this at this level on good-to-yielding ground that suits them.

The interest is in the place market. Kindergarten (Shane Foley, Mrs John Harrington, 9/1) won this course and distance on debut last October in taking style, and the horses she beat that day have both since won at Dundalk. Harrington's yard has placed three from 21 over the last 14 days, which is modest, but this filly does not need much improvement to fill a place spot behind the jolly. At 9/1 with only seven runners, each-way is marginal on two places at 1/4, so treat as a win saver in the place market rather than a standard each-way play.

Silk Braid at 9/1 (Colin Keane, G M Lyons) is another with a clean slate having beaten an odds-on chance at the Curragh last October over this trip. Lyons has been quiet (1/11), but Keane in the saddle is never a negative. Again, respect rather than oppose.

Selection: Charles Darwin to win. Back it short and move on.

3:05 — BAR 1 Betting Vintage Crop Stakes (Listed, 1m6f)

Scandinavia (Ryan Moore, A P O'Brien, 4/5) is a proper stayer and heads this field on form, having won the Goodwood Cup and the St Leger last season. The form line with Carmers, who finished fifth in that St Leger, makes the favourite's superiority look clear. Good to yielding is fine for him, Moore takes the ride again, and he is the kind of horse who is better than his market price suggests when the opposition is this modest.

The one to watch at a price is Layfayette Each-Way (Colin Keane, Noel Meade, 18/1). Yes, he is nine years old. Yes, his overall record in stakes company reads poorly. But he won a conditions race over this exact trip at the Curragh on his seasonal return, beating Dallas Star and Emit in the process, and did it without being hard pressed. Meade's yard is cold (1/16) and that keeps the price big, but the horse's form in that prep run is legitimately strong for this level. At 18/1 each-way for two places, he is the value play in the race.

Carmers (W J Lee, P Twomey, 3/1) was a five-race winner last season and the RPR of 118 is solid, but he finished fifth in the St Leger behind Scandinavia. Hard to see how he reverses that here without the favourite running below himself.

Selection: Scandinavia to win. Layfayette each-way at 18/1.

3:40 — Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes (Group 3, 1m2f, Fillies)

The most competitive race on the card and the one where the value lies. Seven fillies, good to yielding ground, and a Ballydoyle team that fields three runners but whose yard stats (5/35) are not screaming confidence.

Chasing Paradise (Ben Coen, J P Murtagh, 5/1) is the selection. Murtagh's yard is in its best form of the three key trainers here (5/19), Coen is a high-class jockey, and this filly ticks the boxes. She showed genuine ability when a seven-length second to an experienced Ballydoyle filly on her sole juvenile start, then came back this season and won over this exact trip on soft-to-heavy at the Curragh. The step up to Group 3 is the question, but she stays well, the good-to-yielding ground is workable, and 5/1 represents fair value in a race where the market is split.

Emmeleia (Gavin Ryan, Donnacha O'Brien, 3/1) is respected. A half-sister to Puppet Master, she has beaten a stablemate over this trip and the drying ground is noted as a positive for her in the spotlight analysis. Donnacha O'Brien's yard is modest at 2/11 recently, which is the hesitation, but the pedigree and form are legitimate. She could easily win this.

Thundering On (J M Sheridan, Joseph Patrick O'Brien, 4/1) has the highest RPR and TS in the field at 106 and 100. That is hard to ignore. She has placed twice at Group level and JP O'Brien's yard is moving well. The slight concern is the 4/1 price makes her no standout value, but she is clearly in the mix.

Minerva (Wayne Lordan, A P O'Brien, 6/1) is the Ballydoyle runner who makes most appeal of their three, with an RPR of 105 and a win on her most recent start. At 6/1 she has each-way claims if you want to go wide.

Selection: Chasing Paradise at 5/1. Murtagh's yard in form, filly proven over the trip, value in the market.

Today's NAP