A hitherto flawless season took another turn for the better for the exciting juvenile Sacred Bridge who made it four wins on the spin in the Group 3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes which offered the promise of even bigger days ahead.

A listed winner and successful in the Ballyhane Stakes on her last two starts, this daughter of Bated Breath progressed again to lay down a telling marker for the Cheveley Park Stakes later this month. In a race that attracted a decent 12-runner turn out and offered a key formline with British two-year-olds in the shape of the July Stakes third, Sam Maximus, the Ger Lyons-trained and Juddmonte-owned filly was much the best.

She cruised to the front for Colin Keane with over a furlong to run and the champion jockey only needed to change his hands a couple of times for the 15/8 favourite to run out an impressive three-and-three-quarter-length winner over stablemate Geocentric.

“She was very impressive and we’ll head to the Cheveley Park now. She’s push button and long may she continue like that. Colin was very impressed with her,” stated the trainer’s brother Shane.

Sacred Bridge was the second leg of a pattern race double for Lyons, Keane and Juddmonte after Acanella put it all together to land the Group 3 Snow Fairy Stakes over nine furlongs.

This daughter of Dansili looked a fine prospect when she made a winning debut in April but she had come up short in three subsequent starts at stakes level and she was sent off at 16/1 for this assignment. However, a much improved effort was in the offing here as she got to the front inside the last quarter of a mile before keeping on nicely to defeat last year’s Matron Stakes heroine Champers Elysees by three-quarters of a length.

“That’s what we were hoping for all year. She’s a big filly that is only filling into her frame and will be even better next year. Today she did everything right for the first time and next year is going to be fun with her,” stated Shane Lyons.

Sarah Lynam secured her first winner at the Curragh when Goodnight Girl and Mikey Sheehy captured the TRI Equestrian Handicap over six furlongs.

In the colours of the trainer’s uncle, John, the 9/1 chance was winning her first race for three years but she had run plenty of good races in the interim. On this occasion Mikey Sheehy produced her to pick off the front-running Lord Dudley inside the distance and she went on to defeat that rival by half a length.

“She’s been running well and deserved it after just getting caught on the line here on Derby Weekend. She’s a first winner for my uncle John,” remarked the trainer.

ELEVEN years after landing the Paddy Power Irish Cambridgeshire on the 25/1 chance Hujaylea, Conor Hoban pulled off a marginally bigger surprise in the latest edition of the €80,000 prize as Bopedro claimed the big race success that has long threatened to come his way.

Since arriving in Ireland just over two years ago this Zhang Yuesheng-owned five-year-old has shown a touch of class on several occasions and it was only a couple of runs ago that he was placed at premier handicap level.

However, that run came either side of unplaced runs and a first time visor was called upon to breathe new life into his season.

The 28/1 shot duly rose to the occasion in fine style and, after taking his time against the far rail, he quickened up smartly for Hoban to shoot to the front as the last furlong loomed.

Bopedro then kept on doggedly to defeat the much improved three-year-old Moddy Poddle by two and a half lengths.

Visor

“The first-time visor made all the difference to him. I told Conor to bury him and he picked up really well. It’s great for Conor as he broke Magical Lagoon (earlier winner) for me and he does the same for most of Mr Zhang’s horses,” declared the trainer.

“The last day here he hung and Shane pulled him up. His eye was completely closed over and he must have gotten a sting.”

Earlier Magical Lagoon (9/2) progressed from an encouraging debut fourth in a Naas maiden to land the Group 3 Manguard Plus Irish EBF Flame Of Tara Stakes over a mile where she showed the sort of qualities that could make her a major force over middle distances in 2022.

She appeared to be hard at work in fifth for Shane Foley entering the last quarter of a mile and even early in the final furlong she seemed held in fourth. Magical Lagoon picked up splendidly soon after though and she ran down her Naas conqueror Albula to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

She now looks bound for next month’s Fillies Mile.

AIDAN O’Brien notched up a couple of two-year-old winners over the course of the evening and he struck first with the front-running Bluegrass in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over a mile.

This Galileo colt looked all the better for his debut sixth behind Cowboy Justice here three weeks previously. The 5/2 chance showed a good attitude for Seamie Heffernan when it mattered as he pulled out plenty over the last couple of furlongs to fend off Good Heavens by a length and a half.

He should be quite at home when he moves up to stakes level later this autumn.

The Ballydoyle trainer also took the seven-furlong DMG Media Nursery with Madonnadelrosario (16/1), a Caravaggio half-sister to The Wow Signal who was making her handicap debut.

Wayne Lordan had her vying for the lead a long way out and she kept on gamely over the course of the last furlong to deny the progressive hat-trick seeker Malayan by half a length.

The evening concluded with a memorable success for Devon-born jockey Neve Bennett who notched up her first success aboard the Bill Farrell-owned and trained She’s In The Game (7/2) in the Born Na Mona Recycling Apprentice Handicap over seven furlongs.

This four-year-old had run well on all five of her starts this season and gained a deserved breakthrough victory as she got home by a short-head from the oncoming Thaleeq.