JOCKEY Dylan Browne McMonagle and trainer Joseph O’Brien combined for Killarney trebles on Monday, on a good evening for the O’Brien clan.

Browne McMonagle and O’Brien began by winning the Txodds Handicap with the Brian Dolan-owned Evening Blossom (9/2), who notched a fourth career success.

The daughter of Derby-winning sire Australia raced prominently before improving to lead over a furlong out, to eventually score by two and a half lengths from Grey Leader.

Afterwards owner Dolan reported: “She had a tough run the last day in Navan but that was a very hot listed race so we’re delighted she is back on track and Dylan was very complimentary.

“He got her to the front, and once she does that she thinks she’s a champion and won with a little up her sleeve. We’ll go back to Joseph and see what the plans are.

“She is the only racehorse I have, although I have retired ones, and the plan with this filly is to hopefully breed off her.”

Unorthodox success

An hour later Browne McMonagle steered the O’Brien-trained Defiantly to an unorthodox success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden, as the 4/6 favourite matched at 26/1 in-running before scoring.

Slowly away on his debut, Defiantly today broke better but became outpaced early in the home straight.

The son of Kameko eventually rallied strongly to power to the front inside the final furlong, beating Edge Of Seventeen by a length and three quarters.

The winning jockey later stated: “He is a very raw horse and the first day he ran it took him a long time to get into it. He was still much the same today. They got a couple of lengths on me at the bottom of the straight and it took a furlong or two for the penny to drop.

“I hit the furlong pole well though and he won well at the line. He is an improving horse and could be a nice stayer in time.

“He will keep improving, got through the ground well and is very versatile in that regard.”

Treble up

Magnolia Drive (10/11 favourite) completed the O’Brien-Browne McMonagle treble in the concluding Harrow Handicap, as the J.P. McManus-owned filly won eased down by two and a half lengths from Whats New.

Afterwards the winning jockey commented: “I had a nice book of rides coming here so thankfully I got the winners, and it was a great night.

“She is straightforward, the cheekpieces sharpened her up a little bit and going up in trip was definitely a help as well. She travelled around well, quickened up great on the ground and picked up nicely.”

CHAMPION trainer Aidan O’Brien won with another promising juvenile at Killarney this week, as regally-bred Benvenuto Cellini (2/5 favourite) landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Successful jockey Wayne Lordan steered Lambourn to a fortuitous debut course success at this meeting last year before going on to land this year’s Derby on that colt. This time connections were represented by the Frankel-sired Benvenuto Cellini, who is out of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord.

Benefiting from a recent Curragh debut runner-up effort, Benvenuto Cellini made all to smartly defeat stablemate Endorsement by two and three-quarter lengths.

Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong reported: “He had a lovely run at the Curragh and, coming here, this was going to be a lovely race for him.

“He was very babyish at the Curragh and again today where he jumped out and led, but Wayne said he was looking at the cars on the inside.

Decent maiden

“It looked a decent maiden and he went away and won well so that is a decent sign. He improved from the Curragh to here and will improve again from here to his next run, which could be in the Futurity Stakes.

“Whatever he does you’d think will be a bonus as he’ll make up into a smashing middle distance horse for next year. He is one with a touch of class.

“You only have to look at some of the previous winners around here - and even at the horses who have finished in behind - to see how good these maidens are. You need a stakes horse to come here. There aren’t many who win here who aren’t above average.”

Earlier reverse

Dylan Browne McMonagle and Joseph O’Brien had earlier suffered a reverse in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race as their 1/3 favourite Tribal Nation faded to finish third behind the John Murphy-trained 12/1 winner Barbizon.

Ridden by Shane Foley, Barbizon improved from third place to lead a furlong out before quickening nicely in the closing stages to win smartly from Rion Rubette.

Barbizon carries the colours of the Hewins Hoare Partnership and afterwards George Murphy, representing his father John, reported: “We liked him an awful lot before his Curragh run but he was green, fresh and a bit keen that day. He also got caught out on a wing and got tired but still ran a lovely race then.

“He was very impressive today and I’d say he is a very nice horse.

“Shane said he’ll come on a lot more and thinks he will end up being a very smart horse. He has a very high cruising speed, has a big engine and he grinds it out as well. He was a maiden in a winners’ race and did that very well.”

DONNACHA O’Brien was also successful on the evening, as his Drama Queen (5/1) landed the Txodds (Fillies) Maiden, for the Coolmore partners and jockey Gavin Ryan.

Drama Queen held on for a head win over Plaza Athenee with jockey Ryan reporting: “She ran well the last day on a track which maybe didn’t suit but coming down to Killarney on a lovely flat track suited and she was also up in trip.

“She travelled very comfortably the whole way and quickened up well. She has a lovely pedigree and handled that slower ground.

“It had taken a while for the penny to drop with her but today everything fell right.”

Vlhova (14/1) registered a first success, landing the SIS Supporting Irish Racing Handicap for trainer Kevin Coleman, jockey Rory Cleary and Atomic Racing.

The maiden daughter of Shaman had twice finished third from eight previous starts and here she made all to score by a length and three quarters from Vega’s Muse.

Afterwards Coleman commented: “He gave her a great ride. She got the front and liked the big, long straight. She ran well in Cork two runs ago but Tipperary didn’t suit her the last day. Our horses were in-and-out at that time too but at this level she is well-in. We’ll go for something similar next.”