FOZZY Stack has an enviable decision ahead of him after Thesecretadversary made an impressive return to action in the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes.

Bred and owned by Gaynor Rupert’s Cayton Park Stud with Mrs John Magnier, the St Mark’s Basilica colt was last seen finishing an unlucky fifth in a Woodbine Grade 1 in September, having previously landed a listed race and claimed second in the Chesham Stakes.

Sent off 6/1 under Seamie Heffernan, the striking chesnut travelled keenly behind the leader in the early stages and was asked to quicken turning for home. He ran on well to lead 150 yards out and was soon in command, going on to score by two and a half lengths.

Power Blue finished second on his first start since winning the Phoenix Stakes, for which he carried a 3lb penalty, while David Marnane’s 25/1 shot Redemption Road outran his odds in third.

Joint-favourites Dorset and Flushing Meadows finished seventh and eighth respectively, with the former racing keenly in the early stages. Their Ballydoyle stablemate Warsaw stumbled on the home turn and unseated Ronan Whelan, who was replaced on his next mount but returned to the saddle later in the afternoon.

On the winner, Stack reported: “He’d been working well. He ran a good race in Ascot last year and won that race in Tipperary, beating a horse who finished second in the Middle Park, so he had a fair level of form.

“He was a little bit keen today. I always thought he might get a mile and a quarter, but looking at that, maybe a mile. He’s in every Guineas bar the Italian Guineas. I entered him in a $1 million race in Keeneland the same day as the English Guineas, but he won’t go for that. First world problems!”

Thesecretadversary was subsequently cut from 66/1 to 25/1 for the Newmarket classic.

CHEVELEY Park Stakes heroine True Love overcame a wide draw and a Group 1 penalty to make a perfect start to her three-year-old campaign in the Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes.

Previously successful in the Queen Mary Stakes and Railway Stakes, Aidan O’Brien’s filly broke smartly under Ryan Moore, allowing her to take a prominent position behind stablemate Composing. Moore came wide in the straight, his mount running on well up the stands’ rail to score by a length and a quarter.

The Danny McLoughlin-trained Magny Cours (28/1) and Joe Murphy’s Pivotal Attack ran fine races to finish second and third respectively, while Paddy Twomey’s joint-favourite Black Caviar Gold was found to have lost a shoe after finishing ninth, though she was otherwise post-race normal.

“She’s a big, pacey mare,” the trainer reflected. “Whether she’ll get the mile is hard to know, but Ryan said she went through the race very easily and travelled well, so he was happy with her.”

On whether she might line up in the British or French classic, O’Brien commented: “Any time we won the Newmarket Guineas, they always ran here. So, it’s definitely a possibility, and it also depends on what Diamond Necklace and Precise do.”

Bookmakers reacted by shortening True Love from 12/1 to 8/1 for the 1000 Guineas.

O’Brien’s Derby colts surprise

AIDAN O’Brien won the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes for the 13th time, but not with the horse the market expected, as 11/1 shot Christmas Day beat stablemate Endorsement (17/2), while Epsom Derby favourite Pierre Bonard (evens fav) disappointed in seventh.

Ronan Whelan set the pace aboard the eventual runner-up, while Wayne Lordan settled Christmas Day behind the leaders, while the favourite was shuffled back to mid-division. Christmas Day ran on well in the straight to lead inside the final furlong, keeping on to score by half a length, while Donnacha O’Brien’s A Boy Named Susie finished well to take third.

O’Brien later attributed the favourite’s disappointment to how the race was run, saying: “It was a bit of a stop/start race, but we were happy. Ryan said he would have preferred to be handier and in a bit more of a rhythm.

“He ended up where he ended up; he said he was in on the bad ground. He was very happy with the horse, he said he gave two blows. I think Ryan’s horse will leave the run well behind him, so we’re still happy that we got the run into him.”

O’Brien still plans for Pierre Bonard to return to Leopardstown for a Derby trial, with the possibility of stablemates joining him. He remains favourite for the Derby, though he is now 6/1 favourite, from 7/2. Christmas Day shortened from 40/1 to 12/1 for Epsom glory.

Treble up

The finale went according to plan for O’Brien and Ryan Moore, as they won the Tony Harmon Services Handicap for the third consecutive year, with Cape Cod (3/1) obliging by half a length for Westerberg, Coolmore partners and Brant.

Off the mark when last seen in October, the Wootton Bassett colt made his handicap debut off 92 and his trainer hopes he might be able to remain in handicap company next time out, depending on the handicapper’s assessment (subsequently rated 97).

“He was tough and Ryan gave him a great ride,” O’Brien added. “He’s an uncomplicated horse. He will get further, you’d imagine.”

Last year’s winner Serious Contender went on to finish second in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot before being beaten three-parts of a length in the Irish Derby.

Sunday’s stewards enquired into an incident in the straight involving Cherry Hill Girl, ridden by Andy Slattery, and So Must I, ridden by Joey Sheridan. The stewards subsequently found Slattery to have ridden carelessly and, considering his clean record, suspended him for two racedays.

THE opening Look De Vega At Ballylinch Stud Fillies Maiden promised to be a hot contest, with group-placed juveniles Skydance (7/2) and Thundering On (5/4f) making their three-year-old returns, and it came down to a bob of the head in the end.

Willie McCreery’s twice group-placed Skydance came out on top under Billy Lee, and thus proved her ability to stay a mile. The Joseph O’Brien-trained favourite claimed runner-up honours, while Jessica Harrington’s well-bred newcomer Cromac Quay took third.

Thoughts immediately went to classic aims for Al Shira’aa Racing’s €1 million yearling, but McCreery remained tight-lipped on future targets.

“She’s a highly-rated filly, so I’m delighted to get the win,” he said. “I was a little bit worried about the ground, whether it would be okay for her, because she needs good ground.

“They did a great job with the ground here and there was a nice bit of drying. She raced on her own there and she hit the line very well, so you wouldn’t be worried about the mile now. We’ll think high with her and then see where we aim then.”

The Leopardstown Members Handicap has been won by some progressive types and Jessica Harrington has similar hopes for Vega’s Muse, after the Michael Drapac-owned four-year-old provided the trainer with back-to-back wins in the mile contest.

Sent off 11/1 under Keithen Kennedy, the Lope De Vega filly raced prominently throughout and quickened to lead two furlongs from home. She ran on well to win by two and a half lengths, as favourite Fixation stayed on well in second.

“She just took a while to get going last year,” Harrington explained. “She came on last autumn and we reckon she strengthened up a lot over the winter. I think she’ll definitely go forward this year as a four-year-old.”

New ground

Launch Time (8/1) built on some promising performances to get off the mark in first-time cheekpieces in the 0-60 handicap over a mile, providing Cian Hughes with his first winner on the turf.

Robbie Colgan appeared confident behind the leaders turning for home and improved to lead a furlong out with minimum effort. The Noel Flanagan-owned four-year-old kept on to score by three-parts of a length, while Cleopatra’s Needle snatched second from longtime leader Comfort Line.

Hughes, who also led up the winner, commented: “He was placed last year and I thought the cheekpieces might work. He didn’t like Dundalk, so we just kept him for the turf.

“We’ve had three winners in Dundalk, this is the first on the turf. We only have half a dozen to run, hopefully we can get more.”