Navan, 16 May 2026: Tips & Selections

Navan, 16 May 2026: Tips & Selections

Good ground at Navan on a Saturday afternoon, three competitive races to dig into, and a Listed contest at the top of the card that has a genuine complexity to it. The Irish Flat season is building nicely, and this card rewards patience over punching at favourites. Here is where the value sits.

1:12 — Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (6f, Good, 12 runners)

Twelve runners over six furlongs on good ground, and this is a race where the Twomey yard really catches the eye. Hi Corbett Court Each-Way is a Starman colt who cost 85,000 euros as a yearling, a debutant who commands respect purely on trainer form. Pat Twomey is operating at a remarkable 9 from 14 over the last fortnight, and his yard clearly has the horses in a rich vein. Starman was a top-class sprinter and the breeding profile here screams early pace over six furlongs. W J Lee takes the ride, a booking that adds further confidence. Available at 5/1 with Boyle Sports and Betfred.

The danger is Barrow Boy, who already showed debut promise over this course and distance last month, chasing home what looked a smart type despite running green. Gary Carroll rides and the Gavin Cromwell yard has him primed for improvement. The half-brother record to a Group 3 winner at this yard is hard to ignore. At 5/2, however, the price barely compensates for the uncertainty still surrounding a horse with one run under his belt.

Sergei Diaghilev at 11/2 deserves a mention. The Wootton Bassett colt is bred to be smart, his full-brother Endorsement won a Group-placed 1m1f 2yo contest, but Jack Cleary taking the ride rather than Ryan Moore suggests this is very much the Ballydoyle second string today. Respect without going overboard.

Selection: Hi Corbett Court each-way at 5/1. Twomey’s strike-rate is the angle, Starman speed suits the trip, and an 85,000 euro yearling debut from this yard is not to be taken lightly in a field where several are unproven.

4:07 — Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes (Listed, 1m5f, Good, 6 runners)

This is the race of the day and it has genuine intrigue. New Zealand heads the market at 7/4 but the Epsom Classic Trial run last month was alarming, fading tamely in the final furlong after travelling well. Blinkers are now on, which suggests Aidan O’Brien is trying to address an attitude issue rather than a fitness one. Proceed with caution at a short price.

The horse who really interests me is Trojan Fighter at 4/1 with Boyle Sports and Betfred. The Twomey yard, as noted above, is red-hot right now. This Ulysses colt won handsomely at Ballinrobe over this exact trip just eight days ago, making virtually all on good-to-yielding. The step up to Listed company is significant, but the key detail is buried in the Spotlight: Twomey took the same route with last year’s Yeats Stakes winner Carmers, winning a maiden before landing this very race. That is a trainer angle you simply cannot dismiss. Good ground today suits, the trip suits, and the form from Ballinrobe already looks solid.

Limestone at 3/1 for Joseph O’Brien is the other main threat. Dylan Browne McMonagle takes the ride on a colt who has shown genuine progression at every start. Won his last two, tongue-tied at Cork last month when dictating and battling well, and a Derby entry tells you the connections expect further improvement over longer trips. This is the horse most likely to deny Trojan Fighter.

Asakir at 11/4 is an unknown quantity at this trip and on quicker ground than he has previously encountered. Star Of Tara at 250/1 is entirely out of her depth.

Selection: Trojan Fighter at 4/1. The trainer template here is extraordinarily specific and the yard is firing on all cylinders.

4:42 — Royal County Handicap (1m2f, Good, 7 runners)

A tighter handicap puzzle with only seven runners, so each-way options are limited, but the form lines are interesting. Johnny Soda at 11/4 with Boyle Sports and Betfred is the selection. He broke his duck at Cork latest, coming from off the pace to win by half a length over a mile on soft ground. Crucially, the Spotlight notes his brother won on good to firm, which addresses the only real concern about today’s quicker conditions. He looked better the further he went at Cork, so stepping to 1m2f at Navan is a positive move. Adrian McGuinness has hit 3 from 22 in the last fortnight, quiet but ticking over, and this horse arrives in form at a workable price.

Madbadanddangerous at 3/1 for Noel Meade and Ben Coen was narrowly denied on his handicap debut at Leopardstown over 10.5f on good-to-yielding. He goes up 3lb, which is manageable, and he is consistent. The issue is that Meade’s yard is running at just 1 from 23 in the last 14 days, and that cold strike-rate is hard to overlook.

Manton Bay at 11/4 was beaten only half a length on his handicap debut and seasonal return at Naas last month and goes up just 2lb. David Marnane is 0 from 12 in the last fortnight, which tempers enthusiasm despite the solid form.

Selection: Johnny Soda at 11/4. Recent form is the most compelling on the card, the trip extension suits, and the ground suitability question is answered by the family form.

Today’s NAP