KALAXANA continued on a sharp upward curve when landing the Lenebane Stakes, as the glorious weather attracted a sizeable attendance for this Ladies Day evening meeting.

The Aga Khan bred and owned daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar won a Gowran Park maiden and the Ulster Oaks off a mark of 84 at Down Royal in the previous five weeks and was sent off the 11/4 second favourite in this listed event.

Chris Hayes tracked the pacesetting Family Tree over the extended one mile, three furlongs, before asking his mount to challenge early in the straight. She led over a furlong out and kept on well to beat Maths Prize by a length and a quarter, with Family Tree a further half-length back in third.

“She’s a very straightforward filly with a great attitude, and Chris just said she didn’t handle the track that well. He had to pick her up to get her going and then got there a shade sooner than he would have liked,” said trainer Michael Halford.

“She’s progressive and handles that ground well. She’ll go for the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes at Cork now. She doesn’t take that much out of herself at home and hopefully she continues to progress as she has the size and scope.”

O’BRIEN DOUBLE

Donnacha O’Brien and Colin Keane are setting a strong pace at the head of the jockeys’ championship. The former teamed up with his father Aidan and the Coolmore partners for a double.

Christmas set the ball rolling in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. The Galileo colt made all and was just pushed out in the final furlong to comfortably beat Mofakker by three and a half lengths.

“He had a good run the last day and is learning the whole time. I think he’s a good horse,” said the rider of the 4/11 favourite winner. “He had the experience and around Gowran helped him at a track like this with some sharp right-handed bends.

“I like his attitude, so hopefully he’s a horse that will keep improving. He stays well.”

O’Brien had to work much harder on Conclusion (4/1) in the Roscommon Herald Handicap. The son of Deep Impact was rousted along early to take the lead, he then appeared in trouble in the straight but ultimately beat Raphael by three quarters of a lengths.

“He wasn’t doing a stroke the whole way around but when something came to me he found plenty. He has plenty of ability” said O’Brien, who ended the evening one ahead (45-44) of Keane who was also on the scoresheet aboard Hypnotic Force.

The reigning champion got the better of his rival as the 6/1 shot lowered the colours of the O’Brien-ridden hot favourite Queen Iseult in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden. The Ger Lyons-trained daughter of Lethal Force headed the 8/11 market leader a furlong out and stayed on well to beat her by a length in the colours of the Longconnor Partnership.

Lyons’ brother and assistant, Shane, said: “Katie McGivern and Mick Murphy own her and have done a lot of work with her. She has a bit of a pedigree so that was the main thing to get that box ticked. Colin said she was a little bit fresh but won well. She liked the ground and hopefully it’s onwards and upwards. She was a little bit weak last year.”

GALWAY BOUND

Gary Halpin rode out his claim when making all on the odds-on Regem in the Budweiser Maiden. The 4/6 shot drew right away inside the final furlong to score by seven and a half lengths. John Feane, who trains the Frankel colt for Khaled A Rahim, said: “He was entitled to do that and we think he stays really well. There are handicaps in Galway or the Queens Plate in Down Royal but he wants really fast ground. He has a bit of class but we’ll see what the handicapper does and we’ll make a plan.”

My Silver Nails, part of an across the card treble for Kells trainer Mick Mulvany the previous Thursday, followed up under a 6lb penalty in the Property Partners Early Auctioneers Fillies’ Handicap. The 7/2 chance was carried left by tiring front-runner Tammy Wynette around the furlong pole but got on top in the final 100 yards under Gary Carroll to beat Ice Storm by a length.

Mulvany said: “We’ll probably head to Galway with her now and have a go. We’ve never had a winner at the big Festival so we’ll be hoping to break our luck. Her mother won in Galway but not at the Festival. I think seven in Galway would suit her but a mile there might stretch her.”

The viewing angle at the finishing line has fooled many here in the past and that proved the case again in the Supervalu’s Roscommon Apprentice Handicap. Andrew Slattery jumped off in the spot reserved for the winner after Bouquet Garni finished strongly on the inner of front-running Button Popper. However, the latter in fact had prevailed by a head to give Piltown teenager Alan Persse his second winner.

“He rides well that boy. He has a future and did exactly as I told him. Conor Hoban rode her the other day and said your going too far so we pulled her back in trip,” said Austin Leahy, who trains the 25/1 winner for the Irish Equine Syndicate.

ACTING STEWARDS

D. Pugh, Justice R. Groarke, Dr P. Moloney, P. Dunican, H. Hynes.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

MOFAKKER (D.K. Weld): Nicely bred gelding who showed promise on his debut when beating all bar the long odds-on favourite. Should benefit from this experience.