THE Dermot Weld-trained Imaging set himself up for a Guineas trial when picking up in fine style to make a winning reappearance at Cork last Saturday.

The Khalid Abdullah-owned son of Oasis Dream was sent to post an 8/11 shot for the www.corkracecourse.com Race and settled rear in the three-runner field.

Ship Of Dreams (Joseph O’Brien) made a bold bid from the front in the mile contest and looked to have her rivals on the stretch early in the straight.

Imaging found another gear inside the final furlong, however, and got on top in the closing stages to record a cosy two-length win under Declan McDonogh.

“The ground is probably more testing than he’d appreciate,” said Weld afterwards. “When he won in Limerick last year, I said I’d run him in a 2000 Guineas Trial (at Leopardstown) and nothing has changed – he’ll run there next.

“I appreciate that is over seven furlongs but that doesn’t worry me as my only worry today was getting the mile and 100 yards.

“He’s a big gross, great-looking horse and I just wanted to get a run into him because all mine are three weeks behind and my earlier runners got tired. Declan was under strict instructions to take his time.

“Declan was an apprentice with me years ago and the last time he rode for me was when he won the Concorde Stakes (with Anam Allta in 2011) at Tipperary on Arc weekend.”

Weld had saddled the runner-up in the three maidens on the card and the first race produced a thrilling finish.

Luzum looked set to score for the master of Rosewell House when coming to claim Iiex Excelsa over a furlong from home.

The Fozzy Stack-trained filly proved ultra-game, however, and the 3/1 shot rallied inside the final furlong to gain a half-length success under Chris Hayes.

The winning rider said afterwards: “She is a nice filly, we liked her and fancied her on debut at the Curragh but she never really turned up on the day. There was no real excuse and Fozzy put it down to stage fright. She has been working very well recently.

“That wasn’t ideal as I had to make it on her and she was loafing around. It wasn’t until the other horse went by me that she started racing and her attitude was brilliant. It’s very testing ground and she handled it well.”

John Oxx got off the mark for the season when Tullyallen made a winning farewell to Irish racing in the 10-furlong auction maiden.

The Arcano gelding was produced to lead over a furlong out by Niall McCullagh and galloped on strongly to beat Sandaryann by five and a half lengths. The 3/1 winner was scheduled to head to Singapore after his win.

“He had the advantage of the run at Dundalk and was crying out for distance even though he is a half-brother to Limato, but he is a stayer and is a lovely big long rangey horse,” said Oxx.

“He is very adaptable and has run well on the polytrack and then runs and wins on the opposite here.

“He is a lovely, generous horse with a lovely temperament and any trainer would like to have him in his stable but he’s on his way to Singapore on Thursday and is booked on the plane.

“We’re sorry to lose him but he’s gone for export as his owner (Zhang Yuesheng) has a lot of horses in the East and China.”

The feature event on the day was the €25,000 Cork Handicap and Allegio made it a one-horse show when making all for a convincing success.

Killian Leonard, carrying the colours of Raymond Treacy, decided to grab the bull by the horns in the 10-furlong contest and he had his rivals at work early in the straight.

The Denis Hogan-trained gelding galloped clear over a furlong out and the 5/1 shot went on to post a six-length win over Rickrack. The Irish Lincoln winner On The Go Again (reported post-race normal) couldn’t land a blow in fourth.

“The ground is very testing and I knew from watching the first two races that they weren’t going to come from too far back,” said Leonard.

“I was happy enough to bounce out and so was Denis. He was happy enough to leave it up to me and I was happy to dictate from the front with a low weight.

“When I kicked off the bend he kept lengthening for me and there was no catching him.

“I was always comfortable and hadn’t really hit top gear two down. I was nursing him and holding him in the ground as it’s kind of pitching on you. I was fairly confident I’d win two down.”

SHOCKS

There were a few shocks on the card and none bigger than the 50/1 success of Extrasensory in the fillies’ maiden over a mile.

Jessica Harrington’s charge left her juvenile form well behind to make a winning seasonal debut in the colours of G Hartigan and Richie Galway

She was produced to challenge a furlong and a half from home by Tom Madden and got the better of Shareva inside the final furlong to record one and three-quarter-length win.

The winning rider said: “That’s my first winner and it’s great to get the ball rolling, especially for Jessie as well.

“She’s been doing well at home and done well since last year so I was hoping for a nice run but to get her to win a maiden was great.

“She just kept going and that was the longest furlong I’ve ever ridden in a race!

“She was gutsy and every time I got stuck into her she responded for me.”

The Philip Rothwell-trained Definite Doyenne was available at 50/1 on course and eventually went to post a 20/1 shot before winning the concluding mile handicap.

Danny Sheehy made up plenty of ground in the straight on the Doyen filly and she kicked clear from two furlongs out to post a comprehensive five and a half-length win for J.J. Leckey.

“She’ll run in another handicap at Naas next weekend and after having a summer break, will eventually go juvenile hurdling as she was well schooled over hurdles as a two-year-old,” said Rothwell.

When asked was he expecting her to win he answered: “Yes”, before adding, “I liked her from the time we broke her and she likes soft ground. I bred her and still have her dam (who is an unraced half-sister to Definite Article) who I bought so cheaply at the sales a couple of years ago after a friend recommended her to me. She is a lovely one to have!”

Our Anniversary went to post a 14/1 shot for the preceding apprentice handicap and stormed away inside the final furlong to break her maiden under Ben Coen.

The Dot Love-trained filly hit the front at the furlong pole and was soon in command as she posted a three and three-quarter-length win for Joseph Murphy.

“She did it well. She’s tough out and loves that ground,” said Coen. “They went a right good gallop from the start and she was on her head a bit but she stuck it out right until the end.”

ACTING STEWARDS

C O’Mahony, J. Powell, C. Powell, G. Coughlan, M.F. O’Donoghue.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

LUZUM (D.K. Weld): He stepped up considerably from his sole outing at two when just losing out in the opener and should be winning a similar maiden before long.