Agenda emerged as yet another potential Classic contender for Aidan O’Brien after opening his account with a wide-margin victory at Dundalk on Tuesday evening.

A promising third on his sole juvenile start over seven furlongs at the Curragh in October, the son of Galileo was an 11-10 favourite to go a couple of places better on his return to action in County Louth.

A slow start suggested the three-year-old still has plenty to learn, but his latent ability shone through in the latter stages of the extended 10-furlong contest and in the end he was thoroughly impressive in beating Huxley, not too far behind O’Brien’s star colt City Of Troy in a Curragh maiden last season, by just under five lengths.

Agenda holds an entry in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on June 30, while stable representative Chris Armstrong raised the possibility of him crossing the Irish Sea for a possible Derby trial at Chester’s Boodles May Festival.

He said: “It was (a lovely performance stepping up in trip), he had a lovely run as a two-year-old at the Curragh in a race that worked out nicely.

“He has the makings of a lovely horse, he’s still very babyish and raw. I think there is plenty of improvement but, when he gets there, he could be a nice one.

“We’ll probably look at a trial for him next, he might be one for Chester.”

Agenda was providing jockey Wayne Lordan with his first winner since returning to the saddle earlier this month, having been sidelined since suffering multiple injuries when unseated from the fatally injured San Antonio in the Irish Derby last July.

“Wayne gave him a lovely ride and it is great to get Wayne back on a winner,” Armstrong added.

“He’s a big part of the team and we have got to say a massive thanks to the paramedics who attended to him at the Curragh, to Jennifer Pugh and all her team, all the various consultants, doctors and physios.

“It has been a long road back for him, especially for his wife and his kids at home. In fairness, he got the best of care and he worked hard over the winter on his fitness.

“He has been back with us in the first week of January riding out. Hopefully, it is a good season ahead for him.”

A second tilt at Newmarket’s Dahlia Stakes could be next on the agenda for Astral Beau following her admirable defence of the Doncaster Mile on Saturday.

The five-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign for Classic-winning trainer Pam Sly last term, with her impressive Town Moor victory followed by placed efforts in the Dahlia and the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom, while she also ran with credit when fourth at Group One level in the Falmouth Stakes.

With the wet winter rendering her gallops unusable at times, Sly was concerned Astral Beau may be short of work for her Doncaster comeback, but in finishing second to Roger Varian’s Charyn – placed at the highest level on several occasions last year – she proved herself as good as ever.

“The winner was rated 113, so I was well pleased,” said Sly.

“You always wonder whether they’re going to train on, but I think I can say she’s OK.

“We’ll probably go down a similar route to last year and stick with the fillies and mares if we can.

“You’ve got Newmarket and Epsom and I know there’s a race at Royal Ascot for the mares (Duchess of Cambridge Stakes), but the ground will probably be too firm by then.”

In the two Group races in which Astral Beau finished third last term, she bumped into Via Sistina and Prosperous Voyage, who have since been sold for 2.7 and 2.4million guineas respectively.

Astral Beau herself has a significant residual value as a future broodmare, but being from the family of Sly’s 1000 Guineas heroine Speciosa, it appears unlikely she will go under the hammer.

“I couldn’t get over how much those mares she ran with made, it’s serious money. I saw Via Sistina won in Australia over the weekend,” the trainer added.

“I think the family will want her (Astral Beau), my granddaughter is quite interested in the breeding and she’ll probably take over from me, hopefully.”

Star footballer Antoine Griezmann is set for a first British runner at Newcastle on Friday as Hooking lines up in the BetUK All-Weather Easter Classic Middle Distance Handicap.

The eight-year-old has blossomed in the last couple of seasons and he will arrive at Gosforth Park on the back of two wins at Listed level at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in France.

Not only will he be Griezmann’s first runner as an owner in the UK, he will also be the first for trainer Philippe Decouz.

Griezmann, who became one of the most expensive football transfers of all time when he left Athletico Madrid to join Barcelona for €120 million in 2019 before moving back to Madrid, took his first steps into ownership with Hooking in 2017 and has stayed for the full journey.

“Hooking is in top form,” said Decouz.

“The race at Newcastle was a logical choice following his winter program. He doesn’t go on heavy ground and so there is not a race for him in France at the moment. This race at Newcastle is a handicap and the timing is perfect.

“His preparation has gone smoothly and he will be running on his preferred surface and distance. We are hoping there will be pace in the race.

“This is a first runner in the UK for his owner Antoine Griezmann and also for me. It is a great challenge.”

Having broken his Cheltenham Festival duck with a dream double when Monmiral and Protektorat scored, Sir Alex Ferguson is chasing more glory with Spirit Dancer in the Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday.

Bred by Ferguson himself, the Richard Fahey-trained seven-year-old has enjoyed a memorable 12 months.

He started last season in handicaps off a mark of 97, his winning spree began at York in July, was followed by a Racing League success at Windsor and he returned to the Knavesmire to claim the Group Three Strensall Stakes.

Spirit Dancer appears to love racing abroad even more, though, as in November he bagged the Bahrain Trophy and last month he won the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia, taking his career earnings to over £1.7million.

“Everything’s going great. Looking at the videos and speaking to the lad out there, I believe he’s come on in his coat and his demeanour, he’s in very good form,” said Fahey.

“He did have five weeks to acclimatise from his first run this season to the Neom Turf Cup and it’s nearly another five weeks again.

“We’re very lucky to be able to have him there because it’s more or less the same climate in the Middle East and he’s had time to settle into a good routine – he’s loving his time there. It’s an easier preparation to do it there than from here.

“It was always in the back of my mind to go to a mile and a half. You’d have every confidence that he should stay. He relaxes and in all his races he’s always finished well.

“We are in at Group One level, so it will be a huge ask, but we’ve had a nice prep and it’s always nice coming there off the back of a win. I’m really looking forward to seeing him run.”

Connections of Nashwa have every reason to believe the nine-furlong trip of Saturday’s Dubai Turf at Meydan will suit her down to the ground.

It is a brave decision by owner Imad Al Sagar to keep the multiple Group One-winning five-year-old mare in training given she is likely to be the leading light at his Blue Diamond Stud when she eventually does retire.

However, he found the prospect of competing in races such as the one this weekend too hard to turn down and on her best form last season, such as when winning the Falmouth by five lengths or splitting Mostahdaf and Paddington at York, she has every chance.

“I’ve always said with horses staying on in training that there has to be several criteria met,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, the owner’s racing manager.

“Obviously soundness is one, opportunity and the wish of the owner. From that point of view, she really ticked all those boxes, which was great. If you do that sort of thing, then you’ve got to target important races.

“It’s always an enormous decision, one not to be made lightly. The importance of her for Imad as an owner-breeder – she’s vital to the stud really in every way. It’s not only her pedigree but her charm and ability, she’s in fairly rare company as far as that’s concerned.”

Last season started slowly with odds-on defeats in France and at Newcastle, but she came to life in the summer.

Grimthorpe said of the John and Thady Gosden trainee: “She took a while to come to herself last year and I think at one stage we were questioning whether we had done the right thing but then she blossomed in the Falmouth Stakes.

“She ran an outstanding race in the Juddmonte between Mostahdaf and Paddington and was arguably a little bit unlucky when third in the Irish Champion.

“She had two pretty tough races against probably the best horses in Europe at the time. She seems to have come through the winter in very good shape, both physically and mentally, which is the most important thing.

“There are no gimmes at this level, anywhere. In these races, you expect the best to turn up for $5million.

“She’s won Group Ones over a mile and a mile and a quarter, in theory nine furlongs ought to be her optimum trip as well. That was another plus side for her coming.”

Richard Bandey’s Theatre Man may revert to hurdles for the tail end of the season as he looks to preserve his novice chaser status for next term after Cheltenham Festival disappointment.

The eight-year-old was the 100-30 favourite for the Plate having acquitted himself well at the track when finishing second to Ginny’s Destiny in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase on Trials day.

Prior to that, he was placed in a pair of near three-mile chases at Newbury, meaning his debut campaign over fences had progressed nicely as he headed into the Festival.

Under Harry Cobden, his Plate bid ended prematurely, however, when after a standing start he made a jumping error at the third obstacle and parted ways with his rider.

Thankfully, neither horse nor rider were any the worse and Theatre Man may now switch back to hurdling to maintain his ranking as a novice over fences for next season.

“I think it was the owners and the trainer that were left licking their wounds more than the horse!” said Bandey.

“He seems grand after the race, he’s back in exercise and going well.

“The plan is that we’re thinking we want to keep him as a novice for next season over fences, so we might well revert back to hurdles for another run this season.

“We’ll look at handicaps at Aintree at two and a half and three (miles) possibly, and we’re looking at other options at Sandown or Ayr at the end of the season.”

When reflecting on Cheltenham, Bandey added: “He’s not the most straightforward horse and he wouldn’t be overly keen on being too crowded, so I was slightly concerned about the standing start.

“He just didn’t jump forward at the tape and got quite far back and then probably just lost sight of the third fence, it’s one of those things in big handicaps.”

Ginny’s Destiny went on to run a fine race at the Festival when second in the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase, a performance that boosts Theatre Man’s form and bodes well for a return to chasing next term.

“It’s another frank of his form, that was a great run at Cheltenham again,” said Bandey.

“We’re still nicely handicapped and hopefully if we go novice chasing next year, we can progress in that sphere and have some nice options for him.

“We can look at the same races again and more, fingers crossed we’ve still got a nice horse to look forward to.”

Monbeg Genius, previously strongly fancied for Randox Grand National glory, has been scratched from the race at the latest confirmation stage.

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained chaser has run disappointingly in his last two races, at Kelso and in the Ultima at Cheltenham when he was pulled up, and has been taken out along with 16 others.

He is owned by Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman, who had a restraint order placed on some assets, although Monbeg Genius was not affected by that decision and has continued running in the colours of Barrowman Racing Limited.

Original top weight Hewick had already been scratched and others higher up in the list to come out include Asterion Forlonge, Threeunderthrufive, Letsbeclearaboutit, James Du Berlais and Longhouse Poet.

The others taken out on Tuesday were Busselton, Diol Ker, Macs Charm, Dunboyne, Mister Coffey, Moroder, Gevrey, Fiddlerontheroof, Highland Hunter and Revels Hill.

Bluestocking will have “unfinished business” to take care of when she returns to the track for her four-year-old season, with York’s Middleton Stakes or the Tattersalls Gold Cup possible early-season options.

Trained by Ralph Beckett, the Juddmonte-owned filly acquitted herself with real credit during her three-year-old campaign and although she failed to add to her Salisbury juvenile success, she finished outside the top three only once in six starts, rattling the crossbar in some of the biggest races of the season.

She had the misfortune of bumping into Aidan O’Brien’s Warm Heart on three occasions, including when placed at Royal Ascot, while it was another Ballydoyle filly, Savethelastdance, that thwarted her Irish Oaks bid in the dying strides.

The daughter of Camelot was last seen going down valiantly by a neck in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and connections are desperate to see if she can finally get her hands on a major middle-distance prize this term.

“Bluestocking is back and looks great. I’ve just seen her and we feel like we have a bit of unfinished business with her,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for Juddmonte.

“She’s gone close on a few occasions; her Irish Oaks run was obviously a big run and her Champions Day run was also huge.

“She looks great and she could start in the Middleton Stakes perhaps and there’s also the Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland – she likes the Curragh, so that’s a possibility – and we will aim her at all those high-class middle-distance fillies’ races throughout the year.

“I think she has got a little stronger from three to four and she’s grown, so I think there is definitely some more to come from her.”

Kimpton Down handler Beckett may be without Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Westover this season, but he could be the man responsible for Juddmonte’s main Classic hopes in both the colts and fillies’ divisions.

Frankel colt Task Force found just Vandeek too good when second in the Middle Park Stakes as a two-year-old and is being prepared to head straight to Newmarket for the Qipco 2000 Guineas, where he is as short as 12-1 to emulate his sire.

Mahon continued: “Ralph says we have some lovely horses and I’m not sure we will have much for the trials – Ralph is indicating Task Force is going to go straight to the 2000 Guineas without going to a trial.

“Task Force is in great shape and I’ve just seen him and he looks to have wintered well. We’re very happy with him and if his work is good then he will go straight to Newmarket.”

Beckett and Juddmonte could also be represented in the following day’s Qipco 1000 Guineas by Oh So Sharp Stakes runner-up Skellet and Lingfield maiden winner Indelible, with both fillies pleasing their handler in the early parts of the spring.

Kingman filly Skellet is another who could head straight to Newmarket on the first weekend of May, with Indelible the most likely of the duo to take in one of the key trial races over the coming month.

“It’s a little bit of the same as Task Force with Skellet and we have two nice fillies there, as we also have a nice one called Indelible, who is a Shamardal out of Midday,” added Mahon.

“Indelible won her maiden nicely at the backend of last season and one or the other might run in a trial, with the other probably going straight to Newmarket.

“It’s just a case of working out over the next four weeks how they are training and see. They look well and Ralph is happy with where they are at.

“With every week that goes by, they will keep on improving and maybe if we were to run one, it might be Indelible who goes for a trial. But we’re not hung up on it either and if they both need a bit more time they can go straight to Classics from where they are.”

Roger Varian is taking the positives out of Charyn’s easy victory at Doncaster on Saturday ahead of Eldar Eldarov’s run in the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan.

Winner of the St Leger at Doncaster in 2022, he added another Group One when successful in the Irish version last season.

That was his last outing of the year, with connections electing to bypass Champions Day at Ascot, but he has been in training for a while ahead of his trip to Dubai.

The race is over two miles, however, a distance over which Eldar Eldarov has yet to win at.

“Everything has gone to plan and hopefully the victory of Charyn is a plus,” said Varian.

“They are different types of horse but they have been doing a lot of work on a similar programme because they both had early-season targets.

“So Charyn winning hopefully tells me that Eldar is probably ready, so we are looking forward to it.

“I just wish it was a mile and six (furlongs) because he seems to love the mile and six trip – but two miles around there should be OK.”

Adrian Murray is keen to give Arizona Blaze more match practice ahead of a planned appearance at Royal Ascot following his impressive debut at the Curragh earlier this month.

The County Westmeath trainer saddled subsequent Group One winner Bucanero Fuerte to claim the first two-year-old race of the Irish turf campaign last year and repeated the feat with this son of first-season sire Sergei Prokofiev.

While Arizona Blaze’s victory was achieved in testing conditions, Murray would not be afraid to run him on a quicker surface as he looks to continue his education ahead of the showpiece meeting in Berkshire in mid-June.

“We were thrilled with the run and he’s come out of the race great. He was doing his best work at the finish on very testing ground and he looks like a decent horse,” said the trainer.

“He’ll probably have one more run and then we’ll go to Royal Ascot, all being well. We’ve no plans yet as we want to give him a bit of time to get over that first run.

“It’s hard to say what sort of ground he wants, he handled that heavy ground very well, but you’d be looking forward to getting him on a bit of better ground.”

Julie Camacho’s Significantly will bid for more handicap riches this season after a productive campaign last year.

The six-year-old ran seven times and never finished far from the action when winning twice and placing second on three occasions.

He was in particularly good form in the latter part of the term, missing out by just a short head when second in the Portland at Doncaster before going on to land the Ayr Gold Cup.

He then ran another fine race to end the season in the Coral Sprint Trophy at York, finishing second again when outdone only by William Haggas’ Montassib.

The latter horse began his campaign in good style when taking the Listed Cammidge Trophy Stakes on Town Moor at the weekend, a nice boost to Significantly’s form from the Knavesmire.

Listed and Group level races could end up on his agenda this season, but there may be more lucrative handicap pots to be targeted before that transition is made.

“He’s in really good shape, he’s forward,” said Steve Brown, Camacho’s husband and assistant.

“He’s a horse that likes cut in the ground so he may start in a fortnight at the Craven meeting in the six-furlong handicap there.

“There are a couple of races we’re keeping an eye on for him but he’s wintered really well.

“He had a positive year last season and he looks every bit as well, he’s on as good terms with himself as he was then.

“We’re in the twilight zone, that grey area where we’re behind the handicapper but it doesn’t quite make sense yet to run in a Listed or Group Three race.

“We’ll keep an eye on them all though, because the one thing we know is that there are a lot less runners in them than in these big-field handicaps.

“It was interesting to see that the horse that beat him at York at the back end of last year won a Listed race quite cosily on Saturday.

“That catches your attention, he’s a horse that might suit a Listed race in Ireland. We’ll keep an open mind and we’re really pleased with his well being, which is the main thing at this time of year.”

Significantly is owned by Niall O’Keeffe, who, alongside the Camacho team, had a good result at Doncaster at the weekend with new purchase Lattam.

The Lope De Vega gelding was bought out of William Haggas’ yard at the end of last season with an Irish Lincolnshire title to his name after he landed that Curragh contest in 2023.

He aimed to add a Lincoln to that title on Saturday and found only one horse too good, finishing second to Mr Professor when having to throw down a challenge from fairly far back in the field.

The run still earnt him over £36,000 and replenished a good chunk of his 50,000 guineas purchase price, with connections hopeful there will be more where that came from as the big mile handicaps will be considered for him throughout the season.

“He’s come out of it fresh and well, he’ll have a quiet week and then I suppose the obvious place to look at is Newbury,” Brown said of the chestnut.

“We know he’s a horse who is ground dependent so we’ll be keen to get another run or two into him in the spring and go from there.

“It was a good, solid start. He could have been a touch closer but I don’t think he’d have beaten the winner, who won well on the day.

“That was pleasing for Niall, these are the sorts of horses he targets to run in the big handicaps and festivals on Saturdays.

“He was thrilled with him, we all were, and we’re looking forward to seeing him run again.”

Lattam is likely to be campaigned in two phases, making the most of the softer spring ground and then lying low in the summer before returning to action in the autumn with Ascot’s Balmoral Handicap in his sights.

Brown said: “The race we’d really love to run him is the Balmoral Handicap, by virtue of him being a soft ground horse, he could go into that race without as much racing as some of them have had at that time of year.

“You’re almost working back from that to a degree, obviously we hope he can strike before then but it would be very much on our minds if you were asking me to name one race for him now.”

Forward Plan will bid for a third big pot of the season at the Grand National meeting in April.

Anthony Honeyball admits to have been taken aback by just how effective the eight-year-old has been this term, winning a good prize at Doncaster and then being beaten a nose in the Great Yorkshire Chase before winning the £150,000 Coral Trophy at Kempton.

He now has his sights set on the £100,000 William Hill Handicap Chase on Grand National day at Aintree, April 13, a race the yard has fond memories of.

“Forward Plan goes to Aintree for the race Sam Brown won two years ago,” said Honeyball.

“When Sam won it it was the race before the National so we had an hour in the winning connections room, but the only thing was we probably didn’t get much exposure as they went straight into the build-up for the National!

“Forward Plan has been a cracking little horse, he’s picked up about £120,000. We’ve dared to dream chucking him in big handicaps and he has kept on delivering.

“Last season we thought he had won his Gold Cup in a £20,000 race at Southwell but he has just improved and improved this season.

“The Badger Ales was a good place to start but the ground was softer than he liked, then he won a nice race at Doncaster and in between Doncaster and his Kempton wins he was beaten a nose in the Great Yorkshire Chase.

“Arguably the best ride Ben (Godfrey) has given him was that one too as everyone was sure the winner, Annual Invictus, had gone off too fast so he ignored him for much of the race, he beat the rest easily but to be fair to the winner he just found that little bit extra.

“The race at Kempton was worth more than the Ultima and there wasn’t one Irish entry. They probably think it comes too close to Cheltenham.

“He looked beaten two out, he’d lost his position down the back straight but he flew home. If he can win a third big pot it would be great, we’ll try and go to Aintree and if not it will be Punchestown.”

It was a case of mission accomplished for Knebworth who stuck his head out in game fashion to achieve trainer Richard Hughes’ early-season objective.

The four-year-old was sent off a 6-1 chance for the William Hill NRMB On The Grand National Handicap and was always prominent in the hands of young apprentice Ethan Jones.

The 9-2 favourite Aleezdancer and most notably Woven laid down a stern challenge at the business end of the six-furlong event, but Jones was strong and had a willing partner when he needed him to prevail by a short head from Woven.

Hughes said: “It was a great run and that has been the plan. I gave him a prep on the all-weather to knock the cobwebs off as you can find with sprinters they can be quite fresh after they’ve had a break.

“I wanted to get that freshness off before he went running on soft ground up there and it was an ideal spot for him.

“Ethan claiming the 7lb certainly helps and it was a lovely win. Ethan is doing most things right at the moment, he’s listening and riding well.”

On future plans, Hughes added: “That was our first target and there might be a race back on the all-weather for him Easter weekend as he’s quite good on the all-weather.

“That might be one of the last highly-rated all-weather races because when the summer comes, it’s hard to get a highly-rated all-weather race. He’ll either go there or I’ll wait for another turf race where there is some moisture in the ground.”

The William Hill Epic Boost Novice Stakes has been won by the likes of Maljoom and Fox Champion in the past and produced another likeable winner in the shape of Eve Johnson Houghton’s Balmacara.

Third on debut behind a subsequent Listed winner and the highly-regarded Kikkuli, the son of New Bay relished the cut under foot to get off the mark at the second attempt at odds of 5-2.

“I’m absolutely thrilled with him and he probably enjoys a bit of juice in the ground, he hits the ground quite hard so I was always keen to get him out early,” said Johnson Houghton.

“He probably wants further and is just a really nice, likeable horse. He definitely wanted soft ground last year but now he’s maturing he might be able to handle better ground better – but he wouldn’t want it very firm.

“It’s our first runner on turf and he wins, so it’s great for all the team and gives us a boost.”

King Of Spain provided a sentimental victory for Gemma Tutty in the Harrison College Your Future Your Choice Handicap as she continued her fine weekend on Town Moor.

Tutty saddled Look Back Smiling to win the Spring Mile at the South Yorkshire track on Saturday and she was in the winner’s enclosure again with a half-brother to former stable standard-bearer Mostly Cloudy, with the three-year-old King Of Spain making an impressive turf debut to follow up a recent success on the all-weather.

“He’s a half-brother to Mostly Cloudy who was our star during our first season so he has a lot of sentimental value anyway, but to see him keep progressing is really satisfying.

“We bought him as a yearling and the owners have been really patient. We were really keen to get him on soft ground and up in trip. I knew he would come on from his last run because he felt amazing at home, but I wasn’t expecting him to put the race to bed quite as impressively as he did.

“Looking at his knee action, he was always going to appreciate a bit of juice in the ground, but he has taken a big step forward today.

“I’m really thrilled and most of the owners of Mostly Cloudy have reinvested and it’s wonderful to pay them back for keeping the faith in me. The weekend couldn’t have gone much better really.”

The afternoon was kicked off by husband-and-wife team of Archie Watson and Brodie Hampson combining with Throne Hall (13-2) to win the William Hill Epic Value Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap, while Qitaal (14-1) returned from over 600 days off the track to make a blistering debut for Charlie Johnston in the 10-furlong Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap.

Purple Lily advertised her Classic claims with victory in the TRM Equine Nutrition Race at Naas.

A winner at Galway on her sole two-year-old outing, Purple Lily was sent off the 10-11 favourite to maintain her perfect record for trainer Paddy Twomey in the mile heat.

She made smooth progress for Billy Lee and when sent to win her race a furlong out, she had more than enough in reserve to win by three lengths from the Group One-placed Portland.

Twomey said: “She’s a nice filly and she wintered well. We just gave her the one run after the breeze-ups last year and she was good.

“I like her, the horses have done loads of cantering but they haven’t done much fast work. When you are taking on a 108-rated colt, you are asking them a question and she did it well.

“We might look at a Guineas trial and then the Irish Guineas. I think we’ll take our time.”

The Calyx filly has now won twice on testing ground, but Twomey added: “That’s only what was there the day she ran, I’d say it doesn’t matter.

“She’s versatile, she has a lovely attitude and is a lovely filly to train. Hopefully we have a good year with her.”

Wendla could also be set for a Classic trial after a taking success in the Dubawi Legend Irish EBF Fillies Maiden.

Beaten in two juvenile starts, Wendla was sent off an 11-2 chance to make it third time lucky for trainer Ger Lyons and jockey Colin Keane and she obliged in style, with a cosy two-and-a-half-length verdict over Harbour Gem.

The Ulysses filly is out of Breeders’ Cup winner Intercontinental, who is a daughter of Juddmonte’s prolific mare Hasili and counts Dansili, Banks Hill and Champs Elysees among her illustrious relations.

“Colin said to me she’d win if she did what we’ve seen at home. It’s about whether they handle the ground or not,” said Lyons.

“She’s a nice filly and it’s nice to get the maidens out of the way with the likes of her and (Friday’s Dundalk winner) Sakti.

“We thought if she handles that ground, if one of the trials comes up soft then we have one for it and if it turns up good, we’ve one for it too.

“I’m not saying they are Guineas horses or anything, they’ve to prove that, but at the minute we’ve won our maiden and they are horses we would like to be going to a trial with and see where the ceiling is in time.

“There’s nothing that gets going until after Punchestown so that gives us a chance to take a breather and obviously the trials are what I wanted to aim at. Ultimately it’s all about stakes races with all the horses.”

Janoobi (4-1) made it a double for Lyons and Keane in the Far Above At Compas Stallions Handicap, returning from a 575-day absence to win by five lengths – much to Lyons’ delight.

He said: “There is a lot of satisfaction in that because he’s come back from a massive injury and the team have done a marvellous job.

“He had a bad fracture in his front leg and it was touch and go whether he was going to be with us. They did a massive job with him and it’s a credit to anyone that had anything to do with him.

“He’s a horse that we always liked and it’s just a bonus to get him back, to win with him is just massive.

“He’s a good, fun horse to have on the team and every day we have with him now is a bonus.”

A Royal Ascot repeat will be on Desert Hero’s agenda when he returns to the track this summer, with William Haggas keen to head to the Hardwicke Stakes in peak condition.

The son of Sea The Stars entered the record books at last year’s Royal meeting when his last-gasp King George V Stakes success provided the King and Queen with their first Royal Ascot champion and prompted joyous scenes in the royal box.

He would go on to land the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on his next start which teed-up a shot at the St Leger, where Desert Hero would finish an honourable third in the presence of his owners.

Initial talk of a Melbourne Cup bid was soon curtailed and with the Somerville Lodge handler electing against taking him to Australia this side of the new year, he is pleasing Haggas at home as he builds towards the start of his four-year-old campaign.

The earlier part of the season will have a Royal Ascot focus, with the Hardwicke Stakes currently nominated as Desert Hero’s target for the summer showpiece.

“He’s done really well and I’m really pleased with him,” said Haggas.

“We cut (gelded) him over the winter and took the view he was unlikely to make a stallion, or a stallion that would be popular for anyone, and that he still had plenty of mileage as a racehorse. I think he will be better for being gelded and hopefully he will have a good season.

“He will have a run or two, probably only a run, and it would be very much the Hardwicke. It would be lovely to go back to Ascot with a chance for him.”

For his Royal Ascot tune-up, Desert Hero could tread a similar path to 12 months ago by appearing on Lockinge Day at Newbury on May 18.

The four-year-old reappeared in the London Gold Cup on that card in 2023 and Haggas has tentatively suggested that the Al Rayyan Stakes, previously known as the Aston Park, could be the ideal spot to return to action.

“It will depend how quickly he comes to hand, but the obvious race is the Aston Park,” he continued.

“He ran in the London Gold Cup last year at Newbury and the Aston Park is on the same day, a valuable Group Three race.

“He will be penalty free for that and if you are asking me in March where he will go, then off the top of my head that is what I would say.

“It’s very possible he will start there. That to me looks the perfect place to start him with a nice gap until Royal Ascot.”