Flight Plan provided Danny Tudhope with another winner on Irish Champions Festival weekend when making all the running in the Dullingham Park Stakes.
Tudhope had won what used to be run as the Boomerang Stakes in 2017 on David O’Meara’s Suedois and prior to that in 2015 on Custom Cut. This time he teamed up with Karl Burke.
Flight Plan (15-2) ran in the Guineas earlier in the season and had been set some stiff tasks, but he dominated throughout in the Group Two and had the race won over a furlong out, easily keeping 2-1 favourite Buckaroo at bay by a length and a quarter.
Tudhope said: “We have finally found the way to ride him.
“We have always loved this horse and it has just taken us a bit of time to figure him out, that’s the way to do it on him.
“I was surprised at that actually (getting a relatively easy lead), I had to get a good start as he didn’t break very well the last day in York. That was my main aim today, just get out and get on with it.
“He’s got a beautiful action on him and he strides out, and he’s a lovely horse with a big engine.”
Adelaide River enjoyed his day in the sun, as Ryan Moore shone from the front in the Paddy Power Stakes.
Second in the Irish Derby to stablemate Auguste Rodin and in the Grand Prix de Paris to Feed The Flame, he was the 11-8 favourite for the Group Three event.
As proved the case all day, being in the front rank was the place to be and Moore dictated it to a nicety.
In contrast, Jim Crowley had to come from the back on Al Aasy and while he made relentless ground in the final furlong, he went down by half a length.
“I’m delighted. Ryan said if he had a choice of 10 or 14 (furlongs) he’d definitely go 10 on him because he relaxes but he does quicken,” said winning trainer Aidan O’Brien.
“He’s a lovely big horse and we’ve always viewed him as a ‘next-year horse’.
“We always thought he was kind of like Duke Of Marmalade, as he’s after competing in big ones and getting very close in them but he’s such a big horse that he’s definitely going to have to be a way better horse next year.”
Or whether he could be a horse for Australia’ he added: “It might be a bit soon for him this year, he could go next year. He’s a big horse and if we had the choice we’d probably wait until next year.
“He’s after having a few tough races in second so it was nice for him to come here, and Ryan was able to dictate his own pace on him.
“He said he did quicken very well but just got a bit lonely in the last half a furlong. He was very happy.”
Kitty Rose (3-1) emerged as a possible contender for next year’s 1000 Guineas with a striking performance in the Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes for Natalia Lupini.
Billy Lee’s mount took over early in the straight and won by two and a half lengths from the favourite Content.
“We always thought we had a nice filly on our hands. Obviously, first time out you hope everything goes well, we were hoping for a nice run but she won impressively at Naas,” said Lupini.
“Today she was very impressive again, when she picks up she just keeps galloping and she’s very honest.
“The lads are looking at the Guineas with her, next year she’ll be a stronger filly. She won’t have any problems over a mile as well.
William Haggas heaped praise on stable jockey Tom Marquand after the pair combined to win both of the major handicaps on Betfair Sprint Cup day at Haydock.
The Newmarket handler is a rare visitor to the Merseyside venue, so the fact he decided to make the journey north for the biggest day of the track’s Flat season was noteworthy.
His representative in the first of two £100,000 contests on the card was the impeccably-bred Naqeeb (5-2), who produced a battling display in the Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Handicap.
The son of Nathaniel is a half-brother to the trainer’s former stable star Baaeed and the top-class middle-distance performer Hukum, last seen winning the King George at Ascot in July.
Naqeeb will have to go some to scale those heights, but having opened his account with a wide-margin novice win at Kempton last month, he dug deep on his first start over a mile and three-quarters to score by a length and a quarter from Blindedbythelights.
“I thought a mark of 100 was steep for him, but I think he’s improved a bit for going up in trip and I think he’ll be a good stayer next year,” said Haggas.
“He took a while to win. He got mugged by Middle Earth I thought at Newmarket and now look at Middle Earth, who looks to have a likely chance in the St Leger.
“He’s not as quick as Baaeed – I think he wants another mile! How far he’ll go I don’t know, but he’s a big, raw horse whose still got lots to learn and if he can can end up half as good as those two (Baaeed and Hukum) that’ll do me.”
Haggas and Marquand were soon on the mark again, with Post Impressionist (10-1) coming from the clouds to lift the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup.
Caius Chorister looked home for all money after moving smoothly to the lead, but Post Impressionist – who had hinted at a return to form when not beaten far in the Ebor at York last month – flew home from the rear to land the spoils.
Haggas added: “Tom said he didn’t want to go early and I was hoping if that was the case they’d go fast and they seemed to do just that. It’s a long way up the straight when they go hard and thankfully he managed to pick them off.
“The first race of any description he’s run properly this year was in the Ebor last time. There was just a glimpse there and we’re delighted he’s come good today.”
Of Marquand, he said: “I’m really sick of saying it, but he’s a top-class rider and a great fellow. He is really hungry, really keen and really strong.
“I don’t know why he doesn’t have six favourites a day like (William) Buick and (Oisin) Murphy have, but Tom will get there eventually – he’s a young guy.
“He rode his 1,000th winner (in Britain) the other day and all I can guarantee you is it won’t take him that long to ride another 1,000.”
The high-class Chindit (5-2) dominated his rivals in the Group Three Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile.
Runner-up to Modern Games in the Lockinge at Newbury, Richard Hannon’s charge was upstaged by stablemate The Witch Hunter when favourite for last month’s Hungerford Stakes but showed his true colours this time, passing the post just over two lengths ahead of Light Infantry.
“He didn’t run his race last time at Newbury and he was a bit disappointing, but he was right back to his best and he looked like the Group One horse that I think he is,” said Hannon.
“Mr Poonawalla purchased him to see his mares once he retires from racing and he has now won a Group race at two, three, four and five. He looks right back to his very best form.
“We will certainly look at some nice pots abroad now where there is fast ground. There are a couple of races in Australia and races around two bends over a mile in America and he might even be the sort of horse that gets an invite to Hong Kong.”
Chindit’s rider James Doyle doubled up aboard Mick Appleby’s 4-1 shot Raasel in the Betfair Be Friendly Handicap, while the Listed Betfair Daily Tips On Betting.Betfair Ascendant Stakes went to the Roger Varian-trained Al Musmak.
Successful on his Ascot debut before finding only the exciting Rosallion too strong in a Listed contest on King George day, the 11-4 chance got back on the winning trail with a clear-cut victory over 6-4 favourite Macduff.
Winning jockey Ben Curtis said: “He relaxed lovely down the back and I was just keen not to give them too much rope as they can get away from you here.
“He travelled into it nice and when I gave him one flick he responded and went to the front and saw out the mile well, so I’m very pleased with him.
“He floated across the ground and hopefully he’ll take another step forward after that.”
“A great feeling” is how Reggae Boyz winger Demarai Gray described netting his first goal on Jamaican soil.
The 29-year-old scored his third goal for the Reggae Boyz and his first in Jamaica to help the team secure a 1-0 win over Honduras to kick off their CONCACAF Nations League Group A campaign at the National Stadium on Friday.
After a scrappy and cagey first half, the Al Ettifaq winger latched on to a through ball from Fulham midfielder, Bobby Decordova-Reid, to comfortably slot home Jamaica’s winner in the 64th minute.
“It was important that we got the three points because that’s all that matters in the end,” Gray told the media after the match.
“It wasn’t the nicest game. Credit to Honduras because they were aggressive and made it difficult for us but in the second half, we came back together and came up with a game plan. You have to be patient in these games and wait for the moment and, luckily, the moment came for me on this occasion. We’ll look back on what we did well and what we did badly and focus on the next game,” he added.
The former Everton man also described the feeling of scoring his first goal in front of the Jamaican crowd.
“Scoring in front of the fans was a great feeling but, most importantly, we take the three points. The fans came out to watch us so we needed to give them something to celebrate and we did that,” he said.
“We have to give thanks for them because without them, we’re half as strong. When we play at home, especially, we have to give our best. Jamaica as a team are going to keep growing,” he added.
Gray will hope to continue his excellent form to start his Reggae Boyz career when the Jamaicans host Haiti at the same venue on Tuesday.
Michael Tabor was quick to lavish praise on Aidan O’Brien after the trainer masterminded another comeback of remarkable proportions from Auguste Rodin to win the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.
Tabor owns the majority of O’Brien’s star-studded Ballydoyle string along with John Magnier and Derrick Smith, while George Westerberg, another of Auguste Rodin’s owners, is taking an increasingly prominent role.
Auguste Rodin’s season has really been a tale of all or nothing. Beaten out of sight in the 2000 Guineas, O’Brien got him back in top shape to win the Derby. He then followed up in the Irish equivalent, only to completely blow out in the King George at Ascot.
It would have been easy to think too many question marks surrounded him this time, but Tabor insisted O’Brien filled him with confidence.
“In the paddock Aidan was very confident and it surprised me how confident he was. As usual he’s full of praise for everyone else, but he’s the man. He’s produced the animal to perfection on the day,” said Tabor.
“It’s so difficult because when you see a horse run so poorly like that (at Ascot), and then you speak to Aidan afterwards and he’s still full of confidence and he seems to know the reasons why the horse perhaps ran badly.
“As you can see he just brings them back to their best and we all have off days.”
Tabor went on: “We always knew from Aidan that this horse had that special brilliance. He kept saying it and if he says it you have to believe it, and the horse has shown it.
“Everything is possible with him now. Obviously Derrick, John, George and myself will discuss it with Aidan going forward and the world is his oyster, so to speak.
“As John Magnier reminds me, we aren’t getting any younger so we want to enjoy the horses as much as anyone else.
“If the horse tells Aidan that he’s in good condition, as he has been today, I would think we’ll carry on.
“The Breeders’ Cup has always been very special to us and if the horse is right I see no reason why he wouldn’t go. Maybe Derrick, John and George will have a different view, but I’m hoping they’ll agree with yer man and myself!”
Trainer Ed Bethell was left fighting back the tears after Regional provided him with a first Group One success in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.
It is less than three years since the Middleham Moor handler took over the licence from his father James, who trained for over four decades before handing over the reins.
Regional has proved a real flagbearer since being bought for the bargain basement price of 3,5000 guineas in the summer of 2021, rewarding his connections with three previous wins, two of which have been achieved at Haydock.
Having landed the Listed Achilles Stakes at the Merseyside venue in June, the five-year-old got his first crack at Group One glory in the Nunthorpe at York last month and was not disgraced in finishing fifth, encouraging Bethell to give it another go over an extra furlong.
A 10-1 shot in the hands of Callum Rodriguez, Regional was never too far off the speed and dug deep as the post loomed to see off 50-1 outsider Shouldvebeenaring by a neck.
“I’m just over the moon. I’m in an incredibly fortunate position, to take over from my father, and my parents have been big supporters of mine,” said a clearly emotional Bethell.
“I never thought it would happen (winning a Group One). A huge ‘thank you’ has to go to Barbara Jones, who rides this horse every day – she doesn’t go on holiday because she wants to make sure he’s in tip-top form. She’s the important one here, along with the rest of my team at home. I’m just the lucky one to have my name on the ticket.
“We bought this horse just to win a race and he’s taken these guys (owners) on a tremendous ride. This meteoric rise is down to the team at home and we’ve just been incredibly fortunate.”
Bethell felt the step up in trip was key to Regional’s performance, adding: “He was able to travel in his comfort zone, which he wasn’t in the Nunthorpe. The whole complexion of the race changed at York with Live In The Dream going so quick and fair play to him, but we were rushed off our feet.
“Today we were so much more comfortable at this trip at this level. I thought maybe he’d gone too quick and he’d get swallowed up, but he was one of the last to come off the bridle. I can’t believe it really.”
The trainer is keen to let the dust settle before firming up plans for his stable star.
He said: “I’ll enjoy today and tonight and get back to it tomorrow morning.
“I don’t know where we’ll go next, the owners might want to go to America, but I’ll just see how the horse is first and make a decision.
“Genuinely, I don’t think words can describe how I’m feeling. I told myself if we finish in the first five we’ve done well.
“When we won a handicap over six furlongs here two years ago I couldn’t believe it. I thought ‘I’ve done my job now, he’s won a race, maybe the owners will stick with me’.
“Did I ever think he could go and do this? No. These sort of days I hope will go a long way to helping the yard achieve what I want it to.”
Rodriguez – also winning his first Group One – said: “It was an amazing performance by the horse and what a story it’s been with him this year, being picked up for 3,500 guineas. The journey he has taken his syndicate on is just amazing. It was very smooth as he hit the gates very well and was in a good rhythm all the way and every time I asked him he responded.”
The disappointment of the race was undoubtedly Julie Camacho’s Shaquille, who was the 11-10 favourite to complete a top-level hat-trick following wins in the Commonwealth Cup and the July Cup.
But while the three-year-old – who got upset beforehand – was much quicker away from the starting stalls than had been the case at Royal Ascot and Newmarket, he was a spent force with a couple of furlongs to run and ended up trailing home last of 16 runners.
“Everything was fine, he had a bit of a wobbler before the gates opened (but) it didn’t affect his start and he jumped very clean,” said jockey James Doyle.
“He travelled super, but between the three and the two I had no power and I was beat very quick.
“As we know that’s not him as one thing he does do is get through the line, so we’ll see. They’re not machines, are they?
“The season is not over yet, we’ve got Champions Day to come and other races and we’ll see what comes to light. We’ll just regroup at this stage.”
William Haggas heaped praise on stable jockey Tom Marquand after the pair combined to win both of the major handicaps on Betfair Sprint Cup day at Haydock.
The Newmarket handler is a rare visitor to the Merseyside venue, so the fact he decided to make the journey north for the biggest day of the track’s Flat season was noteworthy.
His representative in the first of two £100,000 contests on the card was the impeccably-bred Naqeeb (5-2), who produced a battling display in the Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Handicap.
The son of Nathaniel is a half-brother to the trainer’s former stable star Baaeed and the top-class middle-distance performer Hukum, last seen winning the King George at Ascot in July.
Naqeeb will have to go some to scale those heights, but having opened his account with a wide-margin novice win at Kempton last month, he dug deep on his first start over a mile and three-quarters to score by a length and a quarter from Blindedbythelights.
“I thought a mark of 100 was steep for him, but I think he’s improved a bit for going up in trip and I think he’ll be a good stayer next year,” said Haggas.
“He took a while to win. He got mugged by Middle Earth I thought at Newmarket and now look at Middle Earth, who looks to have a likely chance in the St Leger.
“He’s not as quick as Baaeed – I think he wants another mile! How far he’ll go I don’t know, but he’s a big, raw horse whose still got lots to learn and if he can can end up half as good as those two (Baaeed and Hukum) that’ll do me.”
Haggas and Marquand were soon on the mark again, with Post Impressionist (10-1) coming from the clouds to lift the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup.
Caius Chorister looked home for all money after moving smoothly to the lead, but Post Impressionist – who had hinted at a return to form when not beaten far in the Ebor at York last month – flew home from the rear to land the spoils.
Haggas added: “Tom said he didn’t want to go early and I was hoping if that was the case they’d go fast and they seemed to do just that. It’s a long way up the straight when they go hard and thankfully he managed to pick them off.
“The first race of any description he’s run properly this year was in the Ebor last time. There was just a glimpse there and we’re delighted he’s come good today.”
Of Marquand, he said: “I’m really sick of saying it, but he’s a top-class rider and a great fellow. He is really hungry, really keen and really strong.
“I don’t know why he doesn’t have six favourites a day like (William) Buick and (Oisin) Murphy have, but Tom will get there eventually – he’s a young guy.
“He rode his 1,000th winner (in Britain) the other day and all I can guarantee you is it won’t take him that long to ride another 1,000.”
The high-class Chindit (5-2) dominated his rivals in the Group Three Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile.
Runner-up to Modern Games in the Lockinge at Newbury, Richard Hannon’s charge was upstaged by stablemate The Witch Hunter when favourite for last month’s Hungerford Stakes but showed his true colours this time, passing the post just over two lengths ahead of Light Infantry.
“He didn’t run his race last time at Newbury and he was a bit disappointing, but he was right back to his best and he looked like the Group One horse that I think he is,” said Hannon.
“Mr Poonawalla purchased him to see his mares once he retires from racing and he has now won a Group race at two, three, four and five. He looks right back to his very best form.
“We will certainly look at some nice pots abroad now where there is fast ground. There are a couple of races in Australia and races around two bends over a mile in America and he might even be the sort of horse that gets an invite to Hong Kong.”
William Haggas heaped praise on stable jockey Tom Marquand after the pair combined to win both of the major handicaps on Betfair Sprint Cup day at Haydock.
The Newmarket handler is a rare visitor to the Merseyside venue, so the fact he decided to make the journey north for the biggest day of the track’s Flat season was noteworthy.
His representative in the first of two £100,000 contests on the card was the impeccably-bred Naqeeb (5-2), who produced a battling display in the Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Handicap.
The son of Nathaniel is a half-brother to the trainer’s former stable star Baaeed and the top-class middle-distance performer Hukum, last seen winning the King George at Ascot in July.
Naqeeb will have to go some to scale those heights, but having opened his account with a wide-margin novice win at Kempton last month, he dug deep on his first start over a mile and three-quarters to score by a length and a quarter from Blindedbythelights.
“I thought a mark of 100 was steep for him, but I think he’s improved a bit for going up in trip and I think he’ll be a good stayer next year,” said Haggas.
“He took a while to win. He got mugged by Middle Earth I thought at Newmarket and now look at Middle Earth, who looks to have a likely chance in the St Leger.
“He’s not as quick as Baaeed – I think he wants another mile! How far he’ll go I don’t know, but he’s a big, raw horse whose still got lots to learn and if he can can end up half as good as those two (Baaeed and Hukum) that’ll do me.”
Haggas and Marquand were soon on the mark again, with Post Impressionist (10-1) coming from the clouds to lift the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup.
Caius Chorister looked home for all money after moving smoothly to the lead, but Post Impressionist – who had hinted at a return to form when not beaten far in the Ebor at York last month – flew home from the rear to land the spoils.
Haggas added: “Tom said he didn’t want to go early and I was hoping if that was the case they’d go fast and they seemed to do just that. It’s a long way up the straight when they go hard and thankfully he managed to pick them off.
“The first race of any description he’s run properly this year was in the Ebor last time. There was just a glimpse there and we’re delighted he’s come good today.”
Of Marquand, he said: “I’m really sick of saying it, but he’s a top-class rider and a great fellow. He is really hungry, really keen and really strong.
“I don’t know why he doesn’t have six favourites a day like (William) Buick and (Oisin) Murphy have, but Tom will get there eventually – he’s a young guy.
“He rode his 1,000th winner (in Britain) the other day and all I can guarantee you is it won’t take him that long to ride another 1,000.”
The high-class Chindit (5-2) dominated his rivals in the Group Three Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile.
Runner-up to Modern Games in the Lockinge at Newbury, Richard Hannon’s charge was upstaged by stablemate The Witch Hunter when favourite for last month’s Hungerford Stakes but showed his true colours this time, passing the post just over two lengths ahead of Light Infantry.
“He didn’t run his race last time at Newbury and he was a bit disappointing, but he was right back to his best and he looked like the Group One horse that I think he is,” said Hannon.
“Mr Poonawalla purchased him to see his mares once he retires from racing and he has now won a Group race at two, three, four and five. He looks right back to his very best form.
“We will certainly look at some nice pots abroad now where there is fast ground. There are a couple of races in Australia and races around two bends over a mile in America and he might even be the sort of horse that gets an invite to Hong Kong.”
Regional provided trainer Ed Bethell and jockey Callum Rodriguez with the first Group One success of their careers in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, in which hot favourite Shaquille finished last.
Shaquille had missed the break in both the Commonwealth Cup and July Cup before storming home to win, did not look happy before the race.
He had tried to unship James Doyle on the way to the start and then did not want to go in the stalls until Doyle jumped off.
He did break on terms on this occasion and soon found himself in front, at which point connections would have been delighted, but with two furlongs to run Shaquille had no more to give and Doyle looked after him.
Regional (10-1), who had been making his name over five furlongs and needed to prove he could beat the best over six, faced a strong challenge from 50-1 outsider Shouldvebeenaring but held on by a neck, with the supplemented Believing back in third.
Augustus Rodin rose from the canvass once again to hold off Luxembourg and Nashwa and win the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
Despite being a dual Derby winner, Aidan O’Brien’s Deep Impact colt had run two inexplicably bad races this season.
Having disappointed badly in the 2000 Guineas, O’Brien worked his magic to get him back in top form to win at Epsom. He was then workmanlike in winning the Irish Derby, before being virtually pulled up in the King George at Ascot.
But it is folly to write off O’Brien and his horses, and dropped back down to 10 furlongs Auguste Rodin was sent off the 11-4 favourite.
Up against Derby runner-up King Of Steel, last year’s winner Luxembourg and multiple Group One scorer Nashwa, punters kept the faith.
With three Ballydoyle runners at the head of affairs they had the run of the race, while Hollie Doyle only had Jim Crowley and Alflaila for company at the rear of the field.
Auguste Rodin quickened by Luxembourg as Point Lonsdale weakened, with Doyle making relentless progress on John and Thady Gosden’s Nashwa.
Ryan Moore was asking for everything on the favourite, and in the last 50 yards Nashwa’s run flattened out and it was Luxembourg who had one last lunge on the rails, going down by half a length with Nashwa a short head away.
Aidan O’Brien holds an incredibly strong hand in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, with high-class colts City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow poised to take each on at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Ballydoyle handler’s youngsters arrive at the Kildare track with a course and distance victory and Group Two success to their name, but while one will further enhance their growing reputation by adding a first top-tier victory, the other will lose their unbeaten record.
The duo are both riding high at the top of the ante-post markets for next year’s Classics, and O’Brien, who is quickly bearing down on 4,000 winners, could get a big indication of who is Ballydoyle’s number one as he attempts to end a six-year drought in the Group One contest.
“At the moment it’s the plan (to run both). We’re happy with both at the moment,” he said on Saturday afternoon.
City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow will face the sternest examination of their career when they come up against Adrian Murray’s Bucanero Fuerte – who has already proven himself on the big stage.
Since finishing third to River Tiber in the Coventry Stakes, the son of Wootton Bassett has twice thrived over six furlongs at this track, following up a battling victory in the Railway Stakes with a dominant display in the Phoenix Stakes.
The latter of those two triumphs gave owners Amo Racing a first Group One and his handler is riding a crest of a wave with his stable star.
“It’s a dream to be involved with a horse like him and I never could have imagined it could have happened to me – it’s just what dreams are made of,” said Murray.
“He seems to be getting better and better. He won at the Curragh the first day and then went to Royal Ascot for us to finish third and that for us was as good as having a winner. He then came home and won the Railway and then won the Phoenix – it’s hard to believe.
“He looks like a horse that’s going to train on, he’s a big, long scopey horse and a beautiful mind. He’s thriving with racing and hopefully he keeps it going.”
Bucanero Fuerte has never raced beyond six furlongs, but the strength he has shown at the finish over that distance has connections excited to now tackle and extra furlong.
Murray, who also saddles the outsider Cuban Thunder, added: “He’s always struck me as a horse that needed a step up in trip and I can’t wait to see him running over seven furlongs and a mile. You’d be expect him to keep improving as we step him up.
“He worked very well at the Curragh last week and I could not be happier with him.”
Givemethebeatboys was a place behind Bucanero Fuerte in fourth at Royal Ascot but now has five and a half lengths to make up judged on Phoenix Stakes form, while Joseph O’Brien has won this race in two of the last three seasons and is this time represented by Futurity Stakes runner-up Islandsinthestream.
Tahiyra stamped her class on the Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes at Leopardstown with a fourth Group One victory for Dermot Weld and Chris Hayes.
Off the track on a mid-season break since impressing in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, Weld had brought the Aga Khan-owned three-year-old along steadily for her autumn targets.
Hayes had her in the perfect spot throughout and having entered the turn for home in fourth position, she arrived on the quarters of Zarinsk still on the bridle with only Just Beautiful to catch.
She soon quickened past Paddy Twomey’s runner and Hayes was able to enjoy the final half a furlong, saluting the crowd as she crossed the line.
Tom Clover’s Rogue Millennium outran her 12-1 odds, closing into second, narrowly catching Just Beautiful, but neither were a match for the 5-6 favourite as she won by an eased-down length and a quarter.
Diego Velazquez maintained his unbeaten record in the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown, although he was made to work reasonably hard by stablemate Capulet as Irish Champions Festival weekend got under way.
Bought for 2,400,000 guineas from the Tattersalls Book One sale in October, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Frankel colt had impressed on his debut at the Curragh, winning by almost five lengths.
Sent off the 8-15 favourite under Ryan Moore to enhance his reputation, he looked to be in the perfect position to strike three furlongs from home in the Group Two affair.
However, Moore soon had to get more serious, with Seamie Heffernan appearing to have more up his sleeve in front on Capulet.
But showing a good attitude when asked, Diego Velazquez began to hit top gear and by the line had half a length in hand over Capulet, in a race won last year by Auguste Rodin.
Coral go 8-1 about Diego Velazquez emulating Auguste Rodin in next year’s Derby, and 16-1 for the Guineas.
Kyprios makes his long-awaited return to action in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained chestnut asserted himself as the new star of the staying division last season, enjoying a superb Group One winning streak that included the Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup, the Irish St Leger and the Prix du Cadran.
A setback then stalled his career and he has not been seen since the latter victory, leaving the long-distance races he would have contested open in his absence.
The five-year-old has been limbering up for a comeback and day two of the Irish Champions Festival will be the scene as he looks to retain the title he won 12 months ago.
Fiona Craig of owners Moyglare Stud said: “I’m not sure he’s quite there yet, but I think he’s ready to run. I know he had a racecourse gallop at the Curragh a good few weeks ago, so we’ll see.
“He’s just a bigger horse than he was before and I think they’ve gone steadily with him because of the injury, but I don’t think Aidan would be running him if he didn’t think he was going to run well.
“It will just be great to see him back at the races because he’s a very popular horse, there’s more people ask me about Kyprios than anything else we own!
“He’s the horse that wherever you are in the world, people ask you about the big chestnut horse.”
Taking him on is last year’s English St Leger winner, the Roger Varian-trained Eldar Eldarov.
The four-year-old is yet to come home in front this term but has run with credit in the top contests at the distance, finishing second in the Yorkshire Cup, seventh in the Gold Cup and fourth in the Goodwood Cup.
He was an intended runner in the Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh last month, but he became unsettled on the journey over and was withdrawn after the decision was made to bring him home.
“He’s been knocking on the door at this level this season,” said Chris Wall, racing manager to owners KHK Racing.
“Obviously we’ve got to take on Kyprios and Emily Dickinson, they look to be the main dangers over in Ireland.
“He’s in good form and we’re hoping for a good run from him.
“Obviously a Kyprios in tip-top condition would be a difficult task for him, but he’s coming off a considerable lay-off so we might have an advantage there.
“We were only narrowly behind Emily Dickinson at Goodwood last time and I would have thought it would have been pretty close between those two again.
“We go there chance, hopefully he can get his first victory of the year in this race.”
O’Brien has a second runner in Emily Dickinson, winner of the Curragh Cup and second in the Goodwood Cup when last seen, with Joseph O’Brien’s Dawn Rising and Jessica Harrington’s Yashin completing the field of five.
Willie McCreery accepts Ylang Ylang is the one to beat in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday – but is ready to take her on again with Vespertilio.
The pair met in the Group Three Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown towards the end of July, when Aidan O’Brien’s charge ran out a convincing victor by one and a half lengths.
But Vespertilio ran a very encouraging race, coming through from the rear to finish nicely clear of the rest.
The daughter of Night Of Thunder confirmed that promise when landing the Group Two Debutante Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh under another patient ride from Billy Lee.
Stepping up to elite level over the same course and distance is an obvious move, and McCreery is keen to see how Vespertilio fares against Ylang Ylang this time.
“She’s a lovely filly and it was a nice run last time,” said the trainer. “The going is down as good for Sunday and it may well quicken up a bit before her race, but it was similar ground last month.
“Ylang Ylang is the obvious one we’ve got to beat, but if you’re not in it, you can’t win it.
“We’ll just let Billy see how the race pans out before he decides how to take things, but we’re looking forward to it, that’s for sure.”
Ylang Ylang is already favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas and will bid to give Aidan O’Brien a record-extending 10th win in this race.
“She’s done everything we’ve asked of her so far,” said O’Brien.
“She won nicely the last day, but I thought the second filly (Vespertilio) was coming home very well with her.
“She’s in good form and she’s ready to go again. Seven furlongs and fast ground she’s already proved she likes as she won at the Curragh first time out.
“It is another step up again for her, though.”
The Ballydoyle handler is also represented by outsiders Brilliant and Pearls And Rubies, who was a beaten favourite in fifth behind Vespertilio here last time.
Dermot Weld seeks to follow last season’s success with Tahiyra by saddling Frankel filly Red Viburnum, who caught the eye when making late headway in third on her Curragh debut behind A Lilac Rolla.
“She’s come on for her first run, when she ran very well,” said Fiona Craig of owners Moyglare Stud. “To give Chris Hayes his due, he dropped her in behind and taught her and I’ve seen her work since and she worked much sharper.
“I think it was more greenness than anything and it took a few strides for the penny to drop, but she galloped out way beyond the others at the end.
“She’ll have moved on a bit since then, whether she’s moved on enough to win this race is another matter, but all you can do is compete and see.”
The Dominic Ffrench Davis-trained Ornellaia has already shown she travels, chasing home Les Pavots in the Group Two Prix du Calvados at Deauville.
Tom Pennington, racing manager for Amo Racing, commented: “She’s a filly we hold in high regard and she won her maiden at Goodwood in impressive style.
“She went to France then and I thought she ran a very good race in the Prix du Calvados. She had to cut out her own running which is always tricky, but still managed to run a nice race.
“She’s in good form, she came out of Deauville well and this has always been the plan. My only slight concern would be the ground and I think she is better with a bit of ease in the ground, so that would be the slight worry.”
Karl Burke also travels across the Irish Sea with Fallen Angel, who galloped on well to win the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket.
Albany Stakes scorer Porta Fortuna is back against her own sex after performing with credit versus the colts when second to Bucanero Fuerte in the Group One Phoenix Stakes.
Donnacha O’Brien has booked Frankie Dettori to ride the daughter of Caravaggio.
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