REST OF THE CARD

A SUPER season for Willie McCreery and Billy Lee continues to go from strength to strength and the pair bagged their biggest win of the season as a peak form Devonshire landed the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes.

Twelve months on from her tremendous third in the Irish 1000 Guineas the Godolphin-owned filly proved more than good enough to deal with a field headed by the classic-placed duo of Irish Rookie and Lucida.

Devonshire, for whom the soft ground was no problem, was always ideally placed in a forward position and she moved into the lead around a quarter of a mile from home.

Hint Of A Tint and Irish Rookie gave chase from this point but Devonshire refused to yield and crossed the line with two lengths to spare over the last named.

“Billy knows her very well which is a big thing with her,” reflected McCreery. “I think when she was beaten in the Park Express it was the weight that she had to carry; 9st 12lb is a lot of weight for a small filly. There’s maybe a few races we could look at in America for her as the light weights there would suit her.”

CHANNON SUCCESS

The unconsidered Mick Channon raider Mobsta recorded much the biggest success of his career in the Group 2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes. After two home trained winners of this race, the Pat Smullen-ridden Mobsta was reaffirmed the English domination of this race which has seen six of the last eight winners come from across the Irish Sea.

Mobsta had won a listed race on his return to action but an unplaced effort at Newmarket last time saw him returned at 14/1. From well over a furlong out Mobsta was pressing the resilient front-runner Flight Risk whom he edged out by a head in a bobbing finish. Dick Whittington secured third while the favourite Don’t Touch had to settle for fifth.

“He’s a lovely horse who we’ve thought a lot of. He won nicely on his comeback but we ran him back too soon next time,” commented the trainer’s son, Jack. “After his last run we freshened him up for this and the rain came in time, he loves soft ground. He wouldn’t ever run on anything better than good and we’ll put him in all the big six-furlong races and he’ll go wherever it comes up soft.”

The very promising Caravaggio completed his preparations for Royal Ascot with victory in the Cold Move EBF Marble Hill Stakes. This son of Scat Daddy looked a fine prospect when scoring on his debut last month and he reinforced that initial impression under Ryan Moore, who was content to take a lead for much of the race.

Mister Trader, who won the first two-year-old race of the season, set a brisk pace and had burnt off most of his opponents with over a furlong to run. However, Caravaggio (4/7) always had the leader in his sights and he picked up smartly over the last 200 yards to see off Mister Trader by two and a quarter lengths. There was a further four and a quarter lengths back to Ambiguity who took second behind Psychedelic Funk at Naas the previous week.

“He’s not a soft ground horse and we were delighted with him,” commented Aidan O’Brien. “It was his first run on grass so he would have learnt a lot and it was lovely that he got a lead. We’ll decide between the Coventry and the Norfolk next.”

The O’Brien-trained Brave Anna (9/2) came forward substantially from her unplaced debut at Naas last month for a decidedly cosy triumph in the Lester Piggott FBD Hotels & Resorts EBF Fillies Maiden.

Hit It A Bomb’s younger sister was travelling sweetly in behind How and Lady Beware from a quarter of a mile out and when Seamie Heffernan eventually switched her out to challenge inside the distance she readily took charge.

Brave Anna pounced 50 yards from home and she defeated Lady Beware by a length. The front-running favourite How was a neck back while there were 10 lengths back to the remainder.

The start of this race was delayed by a full 10 minutes when Pepperminty got loose and then refused to load while Magical Fire was another who also refused to load.

“She’s a lovely filly and came home well – her brother got a mile well and she’ll have no trouble going seven furlongs. The Albany would be the race for her at Ascot,” reflected Aidan O’Brien.

MOONEY SUCCESS

Dunboyne-based trainer Amanda Mooney enjoyed a day to live long in the memory as Repeater (14/1) gave her a first success on the track in the €50,000 Hanlon Concrete Handicap over a mile and a half.

One of just four horses under his trainer’s care, Repeater had been placed at Chester and Leopardstown on his last two outings and he built on that to score under a confident Killian Leonard.

Repeater, who was once rated as high as 109 during his time in Britain, travelled notably well throughout and then knuckled down very well inside the distance to just deny the strongly supported favourite Alveena.

“He’s had heaps of problems with ulcers and kissing spines but my vet, Liam Sharp, has done a great job,” commented Miss Mooney. “He’s improved from his run at Chester and I think he can improve again. I took out my licence a couple of years ago.”

Downforce (7/1) coped well with a step up in grade as he followed up a win at Sligo in the six-furlong BAM Handicap. Willie McCreery’s charge coped well with testing ground at Sligo so the easing in the ground was no problem to him while his effort here suggested that he is handicapper on the up.

He still had work to do to collar Penny Pepper when Billy Lee produced him with his effort nearing the furlong but he saw out the trip very well. He only got to the front with around 150 yards to run but went to the line strongly to score by three and a half lengths.

“He’s a nice horse who is still a bit on the immature side and he’s not short of pace, on soft ground he could even go back to five,” commented McCreery who trains the winner for Donal Finnan.

Vancouver to Ascot

VANCOUVER, who was forced to miss his intended northern hemisphere debut in the Greenlands Stakes, will now head straight to Ascot reported Aidan O’Brien.

Acting Stewards

T. Hunt , T.L. Crawford, P. Coveney, D. Pugh, P.D. Matthews

HORSE TO FOLLOW

LADY BEWARE (Mrs J. Harrington): This filly showed excellent progress from her debut run to take second in the maiden won by Brave Anna. She looks more than good enough to pick up a maiden.