The likeable grey Coko Beach put in a neat round of jumping to land the Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase for Danny Gilligan and Gordon Elliott – who had 14 of the 20 starters in the Navan feature.
The eight-year-old was always handy in the three-mile affair, with Gilligan’s 5lb claim easing the 11st 10lb burden he was required to carry off what was nearly a career-high mark of 153.
He ran a rhythmical race and met each fence well, easing into contention as the race developed and eventually staying on best of all to win by two and a quarter lengths from Gavin Cromwell’s 4-1 favourite Limerick Lace.
As a result he was introduced to the Grand National market at a price of 33-1 with Coral and cut to the same price from 50-1 with Betfair.
“He’s a great horse and we’re lucky to have him. He’s been knocking on the door in all those races, so he deserved to win one,” said Elliott.
“Jack (Kennedy) actually kind of wanted to ride him, but I wanted to claim off him and thank God I did. Danny is a great little rider and it’s a valuable 5lb.
“I thought it was a good race to watch. It was helter-skelter the whole way, they went a good gallop and all horses seemed to be home safe.
“He’s a bit of a boyo at home, he’s just a character. He had a good run in Limerick the last day.
“In the past he hasn’t been that strong of a finisher, he’s often faded out from the last home.
“We’ll probably head for a National with him, the Paddy Power would be a bit quick. He probably likes soft ground. He could also go for the Thyestes.
“He has schooled over cross-country and we won’t rule that out either.”
On running a huge team of horses, he added: “Thank God I won it anyway! We have to support these races, if I didn’t run in it there would only have been seven runners (at declaration time).
“It’s massively important for Navan racecourse, for the sponsors Bar One and for Irish racing that these races are full.
“I’ll support them and so will my owners. I don’t know if it’s the type of slow horses that I buy, but I seem to have a lot of them!”
Malina Girl was a wide-margin winner of the Jewson Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
A 11-2 chance for the staying contest, last season’s Ulster National heroine jumped well for Sean Flanagan as Venetia Williams’ Cloudy Glen made the running.
At the turn for home Flanagan asked his mount to challenge and after two ground-covering leaps up the hill the Gavin Cromwell-trained six-year-old was well clear at the line to record a 10-length success from Cloudy Glen. Guetapan Collonges finished well up the hill to be just a length adrift of the runner-up spot.
“She’s very small little mare, but she has a huge heart,” said Cromwell, who was at Navan.
“I was disappointed with her first run back over hurdles, I thought she’d run a big race but I was scratching my head a bit after it.
“But those extended trips, and English fences probably help her, too. I’m delighted. She powered home.”
He added: “Those staying handicaps, we’ll see what the handicapper does. To be honest, I thought she’d found her level and we’d be back at the Ulster National next year, but it might be different now.”
Croke Park continued his progression with what was ultimately a clear-cut victory in the John Lynch Carpets & Flooring Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan.
In a race dominated by Gordon Elliott runners, the Clonmel maiden winner did have to be asked a question or two in setting about catching stablemate and long-time leader Mel Monroe between the last two flights.
He still had to work to get to Mel Monroe after the final obstacle, but did look like he would do so and in the end the 4-6 favourite was going away at the line to take Grade Three honours.
The gallant Mel Monroe was three and a quarter lengths back in second, with fellow Cullentra inmates Search For Glory and Pinyon Jay third and fourth respectively.
“He’s a lovely horse, Jack (Kennedy) said he probably wants three miles in time. He said he didn’t do a whole lot when he got there, but he did it well and jumped well,” said Elliott.
“We probably don’t have to go three miles yet. He’s a big horse and he’s had two runs now so I might even keep him for (the Grade One in) Naas. I don’t know if I’d be wanting to be going to the well too much. I think he is a nice horse.
“Mel Monroe is a nice mare and has improved an awful lot from Cheltenham. She was just about fit enough to go there and ran well. It looks like she came on again and it was a great run, a nice bit of black type for the boys.
“Search For Glory might come back here for the good handicap hurdle, the €100,000 race. Mel Monroe might come back for that as well, she could step up or drop back in trip.”
Cannock Park held on gamely to the land the mallardjewellers.com Maiden Hurdle at Cheltenham for Craig Nichol and Paul Robson.
The five-year-old has been faring well since winning his sole point-to-point start, taking a bumper at Bangor last time out by four lengths.
He was a 15-2 chance in a field of seven at Prestbury Park and made the running from the start, gaining a lead that grew wider as the race developed.
The gelding looked to tire when climbing the hill, but did not fold and toughed it out to prevail by a neck from Innatendue, with odds-on favourite The Kemble Brewery in third.
“He tied up a bit, but he had a bit of an accident at home about four weeks ago and we had to back off him a bit. He’ll certainly come on for it and there’s a nice race at Wetherby at the end of the year we can look at,” Borders-based Robson said.
“I think he wants soft ground and I’m not sure we’ll get that in March, but we’ll see. We can dream.
Gordon Elliott’s Kala Conti was an effortless winner at Navan on her Irish debut.
The filly is French-bred and won her sole start in her home nation by 10 lengths in May before changing hands.
Her Irish career began in the Bar One Racing “Price Boosts Across All Channels” 3-Y-O Hurdle, a race she was the 2-13 favourite in against just two rivals.
Under Jack Kennedy she made all the running and never saw another horse, easily navigating her way around the two-mile trip to cross the line at a canter 14 lengths ahead of stablemate Roboreti.
“She’s a nice filly. Jack said he could have gone around again, she would have done more at home,” said Elliott.
“I’d imagine we’ll probably look at the Graded race in Fairyhouse in two weeks’ time and she’ll have an entry at Newbury on the same weekend.
“The other horse was taking her on and you’re always waiting for something to go wrong in those races but it was pretty straightforward and she did it well.”
Brian Acheson’s Robcour colours did not have to wait long for another success with a smart prospect, as Look To The West took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle for Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead.
Another making her debut under rules in Ireland, the five-year-old was the 9-4 joint-favourite and made the running before prevailing by a length.
“Delighted with that. She came well recommended for her point-to-point, but last year she was just a bit immature still and had a couple of little issues,” said De Bromhead.
“She’d been working really well and we thought she was nice.
“It’s not easy to make it around there and it looked a nice race. She hasn’t run for a long time so hopefully she’ll keep improving as well.
“She jumped a bit right but otherwise she was really good.
“We’ve got her started and now we can look at the next level. I’d say she’ll get further, but she looked good over that trip. She gallops and jumps.
“Maybe something like the Solerina, but we’ll see what everyone wants to do and enjoy today.”
Thierry Anthony bagged a brace which assisted Bonaire to a 3-0 victory over Anguilla in their Concacaf Nations League Group A, League C encounter at the Raymond E. Guishard Stadium in The Valley, Anguilla on Saturday.
With the win, Bonaire moved to six points from three games, still three points behind leaders St Martin. The two will meet in the group finale on Tuesday, with Bonaire needing to win by a wide margin if they are to take top spot and promotion to League B.
Bonaire could not have asked for a better start, as they took the lead in a mere three minutes, as Anthony deflected a cross in from the right wing.
Anthony doubled Bonaire's lead three minutes later when he converted a penalty, after Jonathan Libania was taken down in the area.
Anguilla's defence did a nice job to deny Bonaire any further goals at that point, as they created several good chances.
At the other end, Anguilla also found some rhythm, but nothing that got past Bonaire's goalkeeper Denyor Cicilia.
Anthony was denied a hat-trick in the 64th when he was played in but was denied on the reaction save from Anguilla's custodian Jelanie Lawrence.
Anthony instead assumed the role of playmaker and crafted the third Bonaire goal by whipping in a cross from the right flank that was stabbed home by Freadyen Michiel in the 73rd to cap the win.
Congratulations are in order for reigning two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson as she was awarded with an honorary Doctorate of Law Honoris Causa by the University of Technology (UTECH) at their graduation ceremony on Saturday.
Jackson, the second-fastest woman of all time over 200m, won her second World 200m title in Budapest in August, breaking her own championship record of 21.45 when she sped to a winning time of 21.41. She capped her incredible season winning the Diamond 100m and 200m crowns in Eugene, Oregon.
She also produced times of 21.48 at the Brussels Diamond League, 21.57 at the Diamond League Final and 21.71 at the National Championships. Jackson also produced a personal best 10.65 to defend her Jamaican 100m title in July.
Jackson was recently announced by World Athletics as one of five nominees for the 2023 Women's World Athlete of the Year award.
Jamaica's senior Reggae Boyz Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson rued his team’s missed opportunities along with a lapse in concentration that proved their undoing, as they will have to overturn a one-goal deficit if they intend to progress to the Concacaf Nations League semi-final, as well as next year's Copa America, after they went down 1-2 to Canada in their opening quarter-final leg at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Jonathan David sent Canada in front in the 45+1, before Shamar Nicholson added to his rich Nations League scoring form, with a 56th-minute strike. However, poor defending by the Jamaicans allowed Stephen Eustaquio (86th) to notch the decisive goal and put Canada in the driver's seat heading into Tuesday's second leg at the BMO Field in Toronto.
"It was really hot, so the tempo understandably wasn't high. In a game like this it's about keeping focus, they lost focus, and we didn't punish them, and we lost focus, and they punished us. At this level when you don't take your chances you get hurt and that was the end result," Hallgrimsson said in a post-game interview.
Jamaica started the contest, which was pushed back from Friday due to inclement weather, spiritedly in bright sunny conditions, as they showed some degree of enterprise in the early exchanges and should have opened the scoring in 15th minute. This, as Leon Bailey breached Canada's defence, but dragged his left-footed effort wide of the target in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Milan Borjan.
Canada also had an early opportunity of their own through David, whose effort was kept out by Reggae Boyz captain Andre Blake in goal.
The Canadians continued their probe and almost broke the deadlock in the 32nd, as Cyle Larin was allowed time and space to release a right-footer from outside the 18-yard box, but Blake again proved equal to the task.
Canada used the channels well for the service and had a few more half chances but were still unable to break Jamaica's resistance.
Bailey should have put the Jamaicans in front in the 40th when he arrived at the far post to meet Bobby Reid's weighted corner, but the effort slammed into the left upright.
The Jamaicans later paid for that missed opportunity, as Larin turned his marker and played a pass inside for David to tap in.
Canada should have added another in stoppage time, when David produced a tidy run down left channel and found Larin, who had enough time and space to pick a spot from dead centre of the 18-yard box but steered right-footer wide.
The North Americans picked up where they left off on the resumption and almost doubled the lead four minutes in, but David's well-struck effort from almost 20-yards out was parried by Blake.
Jamaica came into their own and pulled level when a quickly taken freekick from Reid sent Nicholson in behind Canada's defence and the towering striker made no mistakes with a firmly struck effort. Though initially flagged offside, the goal stood via the VAR review.
From there, the contest remained evenly poised and could have gone either way in the latter stages, but it was Canada, who inevitably found the winner.
Richie Laryea’s dashing run down the right channel dragged Jamaica’s defence and opened up space for Eustaquio to sweep home the perfect cut-back pass from deep inside the 18-yard box.
Bob Olinger and Captain Guinness returned to winning ways to provide Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore with a Graded race double at Navan.
Lismullen Hurdle winner Bob Olinger was victorious for the first time since the Cheltenham Festival of March 2022, when the beneficiary of the late fall of Galopin Des Champs, and had struggled to hit the heights that once looked likely as a novice hurdler.
Having travelled supremely well for Blackmore when still hard on the bridle on the run to the last between Home By The Lee and Zanahiyr, it briefly looked like he would flatter to deceive once again.
When Blackmore initially asked him to quicken, the response was not immediate and Zanahiyr went on, but eventually Bob Olinger (15-8) did begin to find for pressure and ultimately was a good winner.
He went on to win by a length from the 5-4 favourite, with Home By The Lee, giving 9lb to all, a creditable third in trying to replicate last year’s win.
“I’m delighted. You know where we hold him, he’s one of the best horses I’ve ever trained,” said De Bromhead.
“Last year was tough but it’s lovely to see him back. He was brilliant and Rachael was super on him, she gave him a brilliant ride.
“There are a lot of people to thank but I have to mention Robert Power and Brian (Acheson).
“We stopped with him last January and Robbie has done a lot of work with him during the summer and into this season.
“He came down to us looking amazing. There are a lot of people to thank, the team at home, but Robbie stands out for all the work he’s done with him.
“We better ask him what he was doing and start doing it with all of them!
“He stayed at it really well. The way he burst through and then I thought ‘oh no, it’s the same as last year’ when Zanahiyr came back at him.
“I thought we were in trouble there, obviously Zanahiyr picked up and we were a bit slow at the last.
“It was lovely to see, he’s a real good horse and it’s nice to see him hopefully starting to come back.
“It was a tough race, his first run since January.”
When asked about plans, he added: “I don’t know, we’ll enjoy today. We’ve no plans and I wouldn’t like to say anything yet. Today was the day, we needed to see him back first.
“If you saw him at home, I don’t think any trip is a problem when he’s right, he has so much pace. At least we can think about the next step now.
“Nothing is set in stone (regarding hurdling or chasing). I don’t really want to say anything until we’ve all debriefed. A lot of work went into today and it’s just lovely to see him back.”
Captain Guinness repeated his victory in the Bar One Fortria Chase, again beating last year’s runner-up Riviere D’etel, this time by seven lengths.
Dysart Dynamo was the 4-5 favourite but he found disappointingly little for Paul Townend in the straight and Blackmore always looked to have him covered.
Betfair cut the winner to 6-1 from 8s for the Tingle Creek next month.
“I’m delighted with that, he jumped brilliant,” said de Bromhead.
“Rachael was brilliant on him again. I thought that was one of his best performances that I’ve seen for a while. I loved the way he picked up to the line, he was brilliant.
“At every fence, he went in four behind and landed two behind, he was so good. There was one halfway down the back that he winged and I don’t think that Rachael even expected it.
“I entered him in the Tingle Creek and I’ll speak to Declan (Landy, owner) and see. It’s three weeks so potentially he could go there. We’ll definitely consider it or otherwise it’s Leopardstown at Christmas.
“I always thought he was better on better ground but he loved that there. In the Champion Chase, I said to Declan that we’d run him but he probably wouldn’t like the ground, but he loved it.”
Stage Star survived a bad mistake at the final fence and still won the Paddy Power Gold Cup handsomely.
Sent off the 4-1 favourite, the Paul Nicholls-trained and Harry Cobden-ridden seven-year-old confirmed his Turners Novices’ Chase form with Notlongtillmay in the process.
The pair were first and second at the Festival in March and it was Laura Morgan’s charge who once again was chasing in vain.
Stage Star made just about all the running and while top weight The Real Whacker gave him company for the first two miles, he dropped away coming down the hill.
Cobden was then content to sit for a few strides as the challengers mounted up behind him, with Notlongtillmay, Fugitif, Unexpected Party and Il Ridoto still with chances.
Stage Star quickened clear, though, and had the race in safe keeping until he made a horlicks of the last.
It was to his great credit that within a matter of strides he was back in top gear and went clear to win by four lengths to give Nicholls a third win in the race.
Jonbon is looking to book his ticket for the Tingle Creek by getting his season off to the perfect possible start in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham on Sunday.
Only beaten twice in his life, both those defeats have come at Cheltenham but he has lost little in either race.
As yet, no horse has been able to live with his Nicky Henderson-trained stablemate Constitution Hill, so he is forgiven for coming second in the 2022 Supreme, while his trainer feels he was not quite at his best in the Arkle in March behind El Fabiolo.
That view was supported given he went on to win at Aintree and Sandown, latterly versus his elders, but he faces far from a penalty kick against Edwardstone and Nube Negra.
Henderson said: “I’m looking forward to the race within reason, well as much as you ever do.
“He’s done plenty but with Edwardstone and Nube Negra, it’s a good competitive opener for the season.
“He proved over two miles (what he can do) and I was always wanting to go two and a half. We’re going to have to ask the same question again on Sunday. Does he want two and a half? We’ll ask the question again anyway.”
Nube Negra has won this race for the last two years but on quicker ground. He is, undoubtedly though, at his best on his first run of the season.
“Statistics show Nube Negra is very good first time out. I can’t deny that, he’s trying to be a three-time winner of the Shloer and that would be phenomenal,” said Dan Skelton.
“There is every right to be proud of what he is doing rather than saying ‘down the road he gets beaten in the Champion Chase’. Of course, we’d love to win that but I’m proud of what he can do, not what he hasn’t.
“This has been his big aim and he’s very ready.”
Edwardstone returns to the scene of where he ran so poorly in March but Alan King’s charge had a solid record before that.
Jockey Tom Cannon said: “He was struggling down the back with me in the Champion Chase, as he normally takes you into a race very easily.
“I knew at the top of the hill that I had to ask a few questions of his jumping down the back, and he responded, but I used my petrol up earlier than I liked.
“Once we jumped three out and turned in, I wasn’t holding on to a lot of horse, which I think was there for everyone to see, really.
“That wasn’t Edwardstone at his best, but we should see a different side to him at the weekend.”
The field is completed by Gary Moore’s Editeur Du Gite.
It will be a major shock if Gordon Elliott does not win the Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan on Sunday, as he fields 15 of the 21 remaining runners.
Elliott is gunning for a sixth win since 2014 in what is traditionally one of the hottest handicap chases of the season in Ireland.
The Cullentra handler makes no secret of the fact he loves winning the feature race at his local track, and this year he is going all out.
Elliott will have to be at his diplomatic best with six different sets of owners to keep happy and he might do well to spare a thought for the commentator, with Gigginstown House Stud fielding nine runners – following the defection of Noel Meade’s Idas Boy.
Stable jockey Jack Kennedy has chosen to ride 2021 winner Run Wild Fred, with Sam Ewing on Hollow Games and Ricky Doyle on Gevrey looking three of his stronger chances.
The only other trainers involved are Meade with Thedevilscoachman, Henry de Bromhead with Ain’t That A Shame, Watch House Cross and Largy Debut, Colm Murphy with Macs Charm and Gavin Cromwell, who is represented by Limerick Lace.
“It’s a competitive race and we have lots of chances, so hopefully one hits the board,” said Elliott.
“It’s a 100,000 euros race and it’s a big staying race.
“You would have to say Hollow Games and Run Wild Fred look the best two and Dunboyne would have a chance.
“Hopefully, one of them will hit the board.”
Royal Ascot winner Burdett Road laid down an early marker for the Triumph Hurdle when winning the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle in eyecatching fashion.
Now with fledgling handler James Owen, having spent his days on the level with Michael Bell, who guided him to success in the Golden Gates Stakes over 10 furlongs back in June, he went on to run with credit in a couple of Group Threes.
Sent to Owen for a hurdling campaign, like all owned by the Gredley Family, he had no trouble in opening his account at Huntingdon but faced a completely different level of competition at Cheltenham.
Up against six other previous winners and Milan Tino, who brought good form from France, plenty of questions were going to be asked and Burdett Road answered them all emphatically.
Sent off a 9-4 chance, he was ridden incredibly confidently by Harry Cobden, who managed to avoid the carnage created at the first flight by Parish Star.
When An Bradan Feasa slipped the field turning in, he had everything else off the bridle but Cobden sat motionless before asking for an effort approaching the last.
Despite not meeting that on a good stride, he had so much left he was able to quicken up smartly, going up the hill to win by six and a half lengths.
“When he won at Huntingdon, he was keen and did everything the wrong way,” said Owen.
“We had to do one of two things today, either make the running or drop him in and we all decided we would drop him in and Harry has given him a lovely, cool ride. He will have learned a lot on the way round.
“With the rain coming last night, I was so nervous this morning, but for a Flat horse he is tough and God, didn’t he come up that hill well.
“He is a very tough horse and exciting going forward, this was a Triumph trial and that is our aim. On good ground, he is going to be exciting. He may go to Chepstow or the Adonis.
“He is the one we are waking up for every morning and looking forward to seeing him again.”
Cobden said: “James gave me a free hand and we made the decision to drop him in as he was too free at Huntingdon and if he is going to be a good horse then he is going to need to learn how to race properly. He’s a very classy horse isn’t he.
“He missed a few hurdles on the way round and could easily have got keen. I was just trying to put him into the bottom of them so I didn’t light him up with a good jump.
“He’s obviously a good horse and March is very much agenda now.
“I was still on the bridle (coming down the hill) and I suppose that is what it’s like if you are Paul Townend!
“It was really nice and he’s a proper little horse, he winged the second last and had a dream run though. You can go for gaps that possibly aren’t really there on a horse that isn’t travelling quite so well and when I pushed the button turning in he jumped the last and quickened up nicely.
“Paul (Nicholls) has a few nice juveniles but none probably as good as that.”
Nicaragua will contest League A in the next edition of the Concacaf Nations League, as they sealed promotion with a 4-0 beating of Barbados in Group B of League B on Friday.
A Montserrat victory over Dominican Republic allowed Nicaragua to secure their ascent on the penultimate matchday, while the defeat for Barbados confirmed their relegation to League C for the next Nations League edition.
Over in Group C, Bermuda jumped into first place with a victory against St Vincent and the Grenadines, while Belize climbed out of the relegation spot with a goal on the last play of the match, leaving all to be decided on the final matchday.
Montserrat vs. Dominican Republic
Montserrat took a 2-1 victory at home to Dominican Republic at the Blakes Estate Stadium in Plymouth.
Montserrat’s Brandon Barzey opened the scoring in the 37th minute, with a header at the far post. Kaleem Strawbridge was influential in the build-up, as he played off a give-and-go before crossing the ball across the box.
Heinz Morschel of the Dominican Republic went close with a shot from a distance in 40th, but Corrin Brooks, in goal for Nicaragua, proved equal to the task.
Strawbridge extended Nicaragua's lead in the 57th with a curling attempt from edge of the box that kissed the left upright on its way in.
Edarlyn Reyes pulled one back for the visitors in the 75th with a power strike inside the box. Jean Lopez provided the service to the left post for Reyes to control and finish with aplomb.
Dominic Richmond nearly got a third for Montserrat in the 85th, but the substitute’s strike went just outside of the left post.
Barbados vs. Nicaragua
Nicaragua earned a 4-0 win over Barbados at the Wildey Turf Stadium in Wildey, Barbados to win Group B and clinch promotion to League A.
The visitors were awarded a penalty kick after Bancy Hernandez was taken down inside the box. Junior Arteaga buried the 22nd-minute 12-yard kick to put Nicaragua in front.
Nextaly Rodríguez extended the lead in the 43rd with a long-range hit from right field that found the left netting.
Luis Coronel added his name to the scoresheet in the 55th, with a hit on the volley from outside the box. Henry Nino supplied the assist from deep in midfield.
Jacob Montes added a fourth in the 59th, after protecting a through ball and seeing it into the box and past goalkeeper Liam Brathwaite.
Tajio James almost had a consolation for Barbados in the 80th, but Nicaragua's goalkeeper Cesar Salandia blocked the attempt with his right leg to deflect it over goal, preserving his clean sheet.
Bermuda vs. St Vincent and the Grenadines
Bermuda won 3-1 over St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Dame Flora Duffy National Sports Centre in Devonshire Parish, Bermuda.
With the win, Bermuda assumed pole position in Group C by a point over French Guiana.
An elaborate build up from the home team led to a Ne-Jai Tucker strike inside the box in the fifth minute to grab the early ascendancy.
Djair Parfitt was denied by the left post in the 16th, as the hosts almost doubled the lead during a rainy stretch.
Bermuda's goalkeeper Dale Eve kept the score intact with a strip in 26th, to deny Cornelius Stewart.
Nazir McBurnette put St Vincent and Grenadines back on level terms with a 34th-minute strike from midfield that took a deflection and curled to the right, leaving Eve no chance at a save.
But Kane Crichlow regained the lead for the hosts in the 44th, by pouncing on a second chance strike after a block from goalkeeper Lemus Christopher.
Eve then made a crucial save during the only minute of first half stoppage time to deny a Kyle Edwards from crossing the goal line.
Parfitt scored what would be an insurance goal in the 50th with a strike to the right corner of goal, completing the 3-1 scoreline.
Belize vs. French Guiana
Belize took a dramatic 1-0 victory French Guiana at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan.
French Guiana’s Arnold Abelinti had eyes for the opening goal early with a header inside the box in the second minute but was denied by Belize's goalkeeper Charles Tillett.
Abelinti had an opportunity inside the box in the ninth but could not get the power behind it to open the scoring.
One of the better opportunities for the hosts came as Eldon Reneau tried to find Gilroy Thurton at the far post in the 20th on a long free kick attempt.
Tillett had a busy first half with a key save in the 35th on a Thomas Nemouthe powerful strike from distance.
Nemouthe then had a shot towards goal in the 52nd, as French Guiana continued to apply pressure.
French Guiana's custodian Donovan Leon cut off a cross towards from Norman Anderson into the box in the 77th to keep the score line even, as Horace Avila was prowling inside the penalty area.
A corner kick provided the opportunity for the game-winner in the 90+6, as Eugene Martinez headed the ball in to take the full three points for Belize.
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