KARL Burke won the featured Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes on Thursday evening with Native Warrior. Sent off the 6/4 favourite under James Doyle, the Wathnan Racing-owned gelding led inside the final furlong to beat fellow British raider Audience by three-quarters of a length.

Burke, who won both the 2018 and ‘25 renewals of the course’s Matron Stakes with Laurens and Fallen Angel, commented: “I love Leopardstown! I couldn’t understand why he ran so badly at Naas the last day, but he came back with a dirty scope afterwards.

“To be honest, that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to come over to see for myself how he was, and I thought he looked great saddling him up.

“He loves this soft ground and, in these conditions, he is a proper Group 3 type of horse. Seven furlongs is a perfect trip, but he stays a mile. We’ll just keep campaigning him away wherever the heavy ground comes.”

Mulvany winner

Wesley Joyce made virtually all on the Michael Mulvany-trained Electric Beauty to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap.

A 5/1 chance, the grey kept on strongly to win by three-quarters of a length for owners Clearys Syndicate. Mulvany said: “Electric Beauty is a lovely filly and, in those kind of conditions, she is hard to beat. I looked at the course conditions last week and said if it turns up (soft) like that next week, we’ll be here.

“She’ll sneak in at the bottom of the handicap in the Galway Mile, so that’s probably where she’ll pop up next. She’s after having a hard season so far, so we’ll give her a break to freshen her up first.”

JESSICA Harrington and Shane Foley landed the opening two races on the evening. Pisiffik Ginger made virtually all to win the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden.

Sent off 3/1 favourite, the Sebastian Curran-owned filly kept on well to score by a length.

Harrington commented: “She did that great. I was a little bit worried about the ground, but when he (Foley) got her out onto the better ground on this side of the straight, he said she picked up well.

“She had a lovely run the first day; was just slowly away and a bit slow early on, and she sharpened up a lot today. We’ll see where we go from here.”

Easy win

Cromac Quay brought up a quick double when easily taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

Sent off 1/2 favourite, the Stonethorn Stud Farms Limited-owned filly led over a furlong out. Powering clear inside the final furlong, Foley guided the daughter of Night Of Thunder to a nine-and-a-half-length success.

Harrington reported: “Cromac Quay never ran last year, as we gave her the time and she bumped into two quite good fillies, I think, on her first two runs. The last day, when she got beaten by Jim Bolger’s filly (Sparan Nua), she pulled off a shoe, so there was an excuse as to why she kept going up and down in the last furlong.

“Today, she showed she had the acceleration and it’s nice to have one like her.

“She’s in the Brownstown Stakes (Listed) here, so she’ll probably go there next and I also put her in the Group 2 at the Curragh on Oaks day.”

ABBEY Actress was another winning short-priced market leader, when claiming the Bulmers Live Apprentice Handicap.

Sent off 4/6 favourite under Patrick McGettigan, the Johnny Murtagh-trained filly led over a furlong out. Keeping on well inside the final furlong, the Australian Bloodstock-owned winner prevailed by three-quarters of a length.

Murtagh said: “Abbey Actress deserves that, it was a perfect race and she loves soft ground. We recently tried to get blacktype with her and I think, one day, her heart might get her a stakes-placing.

“When she hits the front, she pricks her ears but she is all heart, tries really hard and deserved that today.”

Three in a row

Meriden made it three in a row, when staying on best to win the GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap.

Sent off 4/1 under Joey Sheridan, the Patrick John O’Brien-owned three-year-old quickened up smartly inside the final furlong to score by two and a quarter lengths. Winning trainer Denis Hogan revealed: “We all but took her out due to the ground and, while I said if I heard ‘heavy’ in the description that I’d scratch her, in fairness Patrick (O’Brien, owner) put my mind at ease.

“He said that she’s a long-term breeding prospect and that she’s not going for resale, so if she doesn’t handle it, it wasn’t the end of the world.

“She is improving. She seems to drift left in her races, but I thought that was ideal coming to Leopardstown, although she ended up on the worst of the ground. She is gutsy and is ‘on the improve’.

“When fillies are in form, that’s why I like to run them, because you don’t know where they’ll end up when they are on song. She is in on Derby Weekend, where she actually needs 7lb to get in, so that was some of the reason behind running today. It comes a bit soon, so we’ll see how she is.”

Family winner

Billy Lee rode Khormor Syd to win the nightcap for his sister Gillian Scott. Leading over a furlong from home, the Dean Gordon-owned 5/1 chance held on well to prevail by half a length.

Scott, who was sending out her first Leopardstown winner, said: “The horse deserved it, as he’s so tough. It’s only this year he has come to himself, as he has had niggles and little issues, but hopefully we have sorted those out.

“Bill said he got there too soon, but that he battled on well. He’ll be out of the (0-60) grade now, but if we get a run in Galway, happy days. He can go up to a mile and a quarter as well, so he’s versatile trip-wise.”