The Ballarat meeting on the synthetic track on Tuesday produced a promising debut winner for Merchant Navy when Navy Black saluted as a hot favourite.
Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Navy Black was the popular pick with punters for the 1200m maiden and showed plenty of tenacity to score a narrow win.
Left in front a long way from home, she kept fighting right to the line for Dean Holland to win by half a head in a driving finish.
“That was a good result for a two year-old filly with untapped talent taking on older more experienced opposition over 1200m,” said Calvin McEvoy.
“She was exposed at the top of the straight and had to tough it out.
“She’s a nice filly for the future and will only continue to improve.”
An $85,000 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale purchase from the B2B Thoroughbreds draft for McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Belmont Bloodstock, Navy Black was bred by B2B and is the second winner from Black Prada.
An unraced half-sister by Domesday to four time Group I winner Appearance and stakes-winner Mascareri, Black Prada has a weanling colt by Snitzel and was covered again by him last spring.
Navy Black is the sixth winner for Fastnet Rock’s champion 3YO sprinter Merchant Navy, who stands at Coolmore this spring at a fee of $27,500.
