AVENANTE showed her appreciation for a drop in grade as she claimed top honours in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Ragusa' Handicap at the Curragh.

The four-year-old came up short in the Munster Oaks at Cork but had previously finished a good fourth in a course-and-distance handicap and competed here off the same mark.

Settled in mid-division, the 6-1 chance made headway to challenge with a quarter of a mile to travel and sprinted clear inside the final furlong to beat Intisari by two and a half lengths, with the front-running Highly Toxic sticking on for third and last year's winner Shadagann fourth.

The victory was just a second of the campaign for trainer John Oxx, and he said: "She ran well in two premier handicaps but probably excelled herself today. She had more cover today which helped her to settle better and so quicken better at the end.

"We have already tried her in stakes company and she seemed a little out of her depth but we may have a go at the Challenge Stakes, which is now a fillies' listed race at Leopardstown. She likes a little ease but we may not get that at Leopardstown in the middle of summer. Her owner (Sheila Grassick) is in Lourdes, so it has worked!"

APPRENTICE DERBY

Arya Tara's victory in the DoneDeal Apprentice Derby was the highlight of a Curragh brace for trainer Joseph O'Brien.

The three-year-old daughter of Dylan Thomas was one of the least exposed runners in the line-up but showed tenacity for her partner Ana O'Brien - sporting the colours of her mother Annemarie - to repel Brokopondo by a couple of lengths.

The winning trainer said of the 7-1 winner: "She won her maiden well the last day, and we thought she had a nice handicap mark. We were hoping to get black type eventually, and that is probably where she will go now. It's a great result for all the family, and Ana gave her a good ride. I never won this race (as a jockey)!"

WINNING FAVOURITE

In a real family affair, the double was started when Donnacha O'Brien steered home Reckless Gold in the DoneDeal EBF Maiden.

The Pivotal colt had been off since finishing second at Leopardstown last October and has since switched from the stable of Aidan O'Brien, but that didn't stop punters making him the 9-4 favourite.

Market rivals Almanaara and Saafarr were always to the fore, but Reckless Gold wore them down in the centre of the track and scored going away by four and a quarter lengths.

His handler said: "He always had an engine and he'd a couple of nice runs last year. He had a little setback through the winter and that's why he's only coming out now. He handles ease in the ground, and a stiff mile is perfect for him. I'm happy to get today out of the way, and we'll probably look for a Listed or Group race with him now."

READ THE FULL RACE REPORTS FROM ALL THREE DAYS OF THE DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH DERBY FESTIVAL IN NEXT WEEK'S IRISH FIELD