Saxon Warrior is favourite for next year's Derby with some bookmakers after dominating his rivals in the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at Naas on Sunday.

The Group 2 contest has an illustrious roll of honour, with trainer Aidan O'Brien striking gold on a remarkable 16 previous occasions.

The last horse to claim this prize on the road to Derby glory was the brilliant Sea The Stars (2008), trained by John Oxx, and Saxon Warrior is the 6/1 market leader for the Epsom showpiece with Paddy Power after taking his career record to two from two in impressive style under Ryan Moore.

O'Brien said: "We thought he was a nice colt before he ran at the Curragh, but we felt that he was just ready to go racing. When Donnacha (O'Brien) eased him out, he took off and he had to be a good colt to do what he did.

"You're never sure until they run again, but it was a competitive race today and Ryan was delighted with him."

Following his visually impressive display at the Curragh a month ago, Saxon Warrior was the 5/6 favourite and after travelling in behind his pacesetting stablemate Kew Gardens, he picked up well without being asked for maximum effort by Moore to score by two and a half lengths.

Delano Roosevelt provided Ballydoyle with a one-two, just getting the better of Brendan Duke's pride and joy Warm The Voice to claim second.

Saxon Warrior holds an entry in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on October 28th.

Asked if his charge could run again this season, O'Brien said: " It's possible, but it's not definite. He's a classic colt."

BURKE DOUBLE

English trainer Karl Burke saddled two Group 3 winners on the card, courtesy of the two-year-old filly Ellthea and the older mare Quiet Reflection.

Quiet Reflection got her career back on track with an impressive comeback victory in the Renaissance Stakes.

Now a four-year-old, Burke's filly struck twice at Group 1 level last season, landing the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the Sprint Cup at Haydock.

This season has not gone so smoothly, however, with the daughter of Showcasing well beaten on her return in the Temple Stakes at Haydock in May and she had not been seen in competitive action since.

She was the 5/2 favourite for this Group 3 test and travelled powerfully in the hands of Martin Harley.

For a moment it looked as though she could be all dressed up with nowhere to go, but when the gap came, Quiet Reflection went through the gears in fine style and passed the post two and three-quarter lengths ahead of Alphabet.

Earlier Burke saddled Ellthea's to an impressive success in the C.L. & M.F. Weld Park Stakes.

Having dominated her rivals in a valuable nursery at Doncaster last week, Karl Burke's filly was due to step up in class in Saturday's Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr, but the abandonment of that fixture led to her making a last-minute trip to Ireland.

She was a 10/1 shot for the Group 3 assignment under Colm O'Donoghue and after hitting the front over a furlong out, she stuck to her task well against the far rail to prevail by two and three-quarter lengths.

Aidan O'Brien's pair of Sizzling and Ballet Shoes were second and third respectively.

Burke said: "Obviously she is a talented filly, but she has just suffered with being in season all summer really. Every time we took her away she was in season and not performing.

"There is a little bit of temperament to her which, when she uses in the right way, she is very useful.

"I'm not sure if she will run again. We were thinking if she nicked a bit of black type we would probably pack her in for the year but Colm said she did that pretty easily and was a bit lonely in front.

"So we might look for something else yet."

MIDGLEY FORECAST

There was further British success on the Naas card as Paul Midgley enjoyed a one-two in the Joe McGrath Handicap, with Leigh Roche guiding 10/1 shot Tylery Wonder to a clear-cut victory over stablemate Monsieur Joe.

Monsieur Joe was the better fancied of the two at 5/1, but Tylery Wonder never looked in serious danger of being caught in the final furlong and was good value for his length-and-a-half win.

Tylery Wonder was winning this prize for the second time having struck gold in 2015 when trained by Willie McCreery.

Midgley said: "It's a nice surprise to be perfectly honest, as I thought the ground would be too slow for him. He got a length out of the gate and never really looked like he was going to get beat.

"He battled away good on ground that is probably too slow for him.

"Monsieur Joe has run great as well. Age is probably catching up a little bit with him but he's still got plenty of will to win.

"I think Tylery Wonder finished fourth in this race last year and won it the year before. He won too well at York (in July) and the handicapper murdered him. It's taken him until now to get back to a winning mark."

MULLINS WINNER

Pat Smullen steered the Willie Mullins-trained Renneti to a clear-cut success in the Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes.

The eight-year-old bolted up in a conditions race at the Galway Festival, but had since finished down the field in the Irish St Leger Trial and a valuable handicap at Leopardstown.

Back in a smaller field, he was the 4/5 favourite to get his season back on track and saw out the two-mile distance well to score by five lengths. Stars Over The Sea was a clear second.

Mullins confirmed the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup could be Renneti's next port of call. He said: "Hopefully at this time of year he will keep getting the ground he likes with plenty of dig in it.

"He'll probably stick to this sort of trip and he could go for the race in Ascot."

WININNG DEBUT

Mcmunigal made a successful debut for trainer Ger Lyons in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

A field of 15 unraced juveniles went to post for the seven-furlong contest, with Mcmunigal a 13/2 chance in the hands of title-chasing Colin Keane.

The gelded son of Epaulette tracked the pacesetters until early in the home straight and showed a smart change of gear to to assert in the final furlong.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained James Cook, a full-brother to Breeders' Cup Turf and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Found, was a big eyecatcher in second, beaten four lengths.

James Cook's fellow 3/1 joint-favourite Loving A Boom raced on the pace before fading into third.

READ THE FULL NAAS REPORT IN THE IRISH FIELD NEXT WEEKEND