A RETURN stateside looks a distinct possibility for last year’s Breeders’ Cup winner Ethical Diamond following a victory in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes.

Partnered by Ryan Moore, the Willie Mullins-trained 11/10 favourite stayed on strongly inside the final furlong, getting up in the dying strides to beat Green Impact a short head.

Mullins said of the HOS Syndicate-owned six-year-old: “It was hard work, but he got the job done. That’ll bring him forward. He’s in a few races in Ireland and England, but I think there’s a nice prize in Kentucky Downs in September over a mile and a half that we might go for.

“I think it’s a million dollar race, so we might have a crack at that. It’s a nice left-handed track, ground is usually as hard as iron. It’s a track where Grabel won all those years ago. It was called the Dueling Grounds then, so we know the place.”

Moore double

Jockey Ryan Moore was completing a big race double having earlier partnered Isaac Newton to land the Group 3 Bahrain Turf Club Desmond Stakes.

Sent off 10/1, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt kept on well from off a strong pace to hit the front over 100 yards out. O’Brien said of the Smith/Magnier/Tabor/Westerberg-owned winner: “It’s a good thing he is a miler. He’s unusual for a Montjeu. That’s what he was showing us all the time and we weren’t believing it. If you see him how he goes through a race, he canters through a race. He is fast. I’d say he’d even come back shorter if we wanted him, but I’d say he’s a miler. He’ll come back here for the Boomerang.”

Debut win

O’Brien was also registering a double on the evening, having won the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden with newcomer Wall Street.

Owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier and Michael Tabor, the 7/1 chance, a son of Sea The Stars, ran on well close home under Wayne Lordan to post a half-length success.

O’Brien said of his winner: “He is obviously a good horse - he just took off. For him to do that, he had to be good. They didn’t go very quick. He’s a big horse anyway, but he will come on tons I’d say.”

Better times are promised

HARD Promises won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for Andy Oliver and Ben Coen.

Sent off 5/4 favourite, the Connor/McManus-owned colt finished off best to land a two-and-three-quarter-length win.

Oliver said: “He is a very nice horse, we waited on him. We ran him at Navan just because of opportunities. We were pitching him in against that company, but we were hoping he’d run a nice race and he did. He took a blow and came on from that race.

“It was a nice run and that left him with the form to come here. You still have it to do, but he did it very nicely - it was a bloodless victory. Ben gave him a lovely ride. It was nice to see. He’s bred to be a progressive horse.

“He’s showing us that at home and he is very relaxed. He just eats and sleeps. Even training him at home, you can switch him off.

“He’s a horse that at the beginning he was just part of the crew but then, once you woke him up, you saw what he could do. He just goes through the motions until you ask him to pick up. We’ll take it from here. We have no plans yet, but I think we are fairly versatile with regard to ground and trip.”

Cian and Keane

Colin Keane won the Carnival de Leop Handicap on the Cian Hughes-trained Launch Time.

Sent off 7/2, the Noel Flanagan-owned gelding led inside the last 100 yards to score by half a length. Hughes said: “I just wasn’t happy with him the last day. He was a bit quiet for a week after the race. I thought the first-time visor would work and back a bit in trip. I’m delighted with that.

“We might squeeze another one out of him. He just had one disappointing run here when the ground was soft. I wasn’t sure what happened, he just kind of emptied out. It’s great to get a nice win like this.”

Bella gets the verdict by a head

BELLA Columbia led inside the final furlong before just holding on to win the Renault Ireland Handicap. Sam Coen rode the Willie McCreery-trained mare to a head verdict at odds of 6/1 for owners COR Racing Syndicate.

McCreery reported: “That was good. He gave her a lovely ride, something similar to what he did in Killarney. The lads bred her, so I’m delighted for them. She’s going up through the grades.”

Paul Cawley produced the Karl Thornton-trained Boxing Great from off the pace to win the concluding Fegentri World Championship (Q.R.) Handicap. Well supported from 7/2 into 7/4 favourite, the Gibneys Racing Syndicate-owned gelding got up on the line to win by a head.

With Thornton on lead-up duties, Cawley reported: “That’s my 17th winner, I think, on the track. I’ve 18 point-to-point winners ridden.

“I was slow away, so I said I’d give him a chance and hopefully it would fall apart in front of me and I’d be able to pick up the pieces. My brother Brian had a winner in Sligo as well tonight, so it was a great day.”