THE prodigious potential that Lady Kaya showed last autumn burns more brightly than ever on the evidence of her commanding comeback in the Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle 1000 Guineas Trial Stakes which credited both trainer Sheila Lavery and jockey Robbie Colgan with their biggest success on the flat.

A stunning wide-margin triumph in a conditions race coupled with an excellent Moyglare Stakes second provided ample evidence of Lady Kaya’s prowess last autumn, and she looked perhaps better than ever for his seasonal reappearance.

The daughter of Dandy Man did everything with her customary verve and enthusiasm to set up a 1000 Guineas assault which looks more likely to take place at the Curragh than at Newmarket.

The pacesetting Lady Kaya, who is owned by the trainer’s niece Joanne Lavery, was still full of running entering the last couple of furlongs by which stage she had her rivals at full stretch.

When asked to make sure of victory inside the distance she maintained a clear lead to hit the line with two and a quarter lengths to spare over the staying-on Happen.

Last season’s Fillies’ Mile winner Iridessa ran a race of substantial promise under her Group 1 penalty to lie a further head back in third. She too will be a major player when the classics roll around in a few weeks’ time.

“I said to Robbie to let her jump and travel and to keep her together and he said it was like a piece of work for her,” exclaimed a thrilled winning trainer.

“I was worried about going the seven furlongs on this ground but the way she’s won there you’d have to try a mile with her now.”

“You’d look at that and think she’s won easy but she puts so much into her races and she wouldn’t be able to do both 1000 Guineas so my gut feeling at this stage is that she would go for the Irish 1000 Guineas,” added the trainer.

DERBY CONTENDERS

Aidan O’Brien picked up the two other classic trials and the Ballydoyle trainer’s Broome looks to have emerged as a Derby contender of some significance on the evidence of his Group 3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes triumph.

Guaranteed and Sovereign made this 10-furlong event a searching test, but when the pace relented before the turn-in the well strung out six-runner field came together.

At this point the Ryan Moore-ridden Broome (5/2) was last and being niggled along, but he then turned this race into a procession in the straight.

He came with an unfaltering effort to sweep by Sovereign with over a furlong to run and eventually hit the line with eight lengths to spare. Pythion was a further four lengths back in third.

This was the winner’s first appearance since he took second in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere last October.

“We thought that he would appreciate going further and going 10 furlongs there suited him. He’ll be back here next month for the Derrinstown,” said O’Brien.

“He’s a lovely, sleepy colt and last year we were maybe forcing him in his races knowing that he stayed which was a bit unfair to him. He really gallops home and he’s a very good mover who will like better ground.”

O’Brien’s progressive Never No More thrust himself into the classic picture after he claimed the notable scalp of Madhmoon in the Listed Ballylinch Stud 2000 Guinesas Trial Stakes.

For Madhmoon this was the first defeat of his career, but this was a far from disappointing effort from the odds-on favourite who was conceding 3lbs and race fitness to the winner.

For his part, Never No More was confirming the promise of his comeback victory in the Madrid Handicap and this first success at stakes level has paved the way for a 2000 Guineas assault in either France or Newmarket.

As the last furlong loomed Madhmoon was doing enough to master the pacesetting pair of Wargrave and Could Be King but then succumbed to the late effort of the Ryan Moore-ridden Never No More (5/2) who got home by half a length.

“He came forward lovely from his run at Naas and he finished off well just as he did at Naas,” reported O’Brien who was winning this race for the fourth year in a row and the eighth time in all.

“He could be one for the French or English Guineas now.”

POUNCED LATE

The day began with a taking display from Joseph O’Brien’s Buckhurst (7/2) who pounced late in the mile maiden.

This Lloyd Williams-owned son of Australia holds a number of high-profile middle-distance entries and there was lots to like about the manner in which he made a winning debut over a trip that is short of his optimum.

Donnacha O’Brien’s mount had plenty to do from fifth with over a furlong but he came home strongly to nail the front-running Jack Yeats on the line.

“He’s a very nice horse but I’m almost a bit surprised that he was able to do that first time out over a mile and off a slow pace,” remarked O’Brien.

“I’m really happy with him and I’d imagine that he will step into a Derby Trial now.”

It was a day remember for Kantuck-based trainer Brendan Murphy as Annie Fior provided him with his first victory as a trainer in the seven-furlong handicap.

Even though she had posted a respectable effort over this course and distance on Wednesday evening the five-year-old was returned at 33/1.

Apprentice Adam Farragher, who was searching for his first winner of 2019, produced his mount to tackle Laughifuwant early in the last furlong and Annie Fior’s persistent effort enabled her to carry the day by a neck.

“I was delighted to see her dropped in as she’s hard to take back in her races and Adam rode her to perfection,” declared Murphy, who also owns the winner and spent time with Tony and Willie Mullins before taking out a training licence late last year.

“I’ve four horses in training and eight in pre-training, and now she’s won we are really looking forward to the rest of the year.”

FIRST SUCCESS

Jim Gorman notched up his first success since August 2017 as Don’t Quit (7/1) landed the 45-70 rated mile handicap under Rory Cleary.

The six-year-old ended last term with a succession of solid efforts in defeat and returned to the fray in fine heart as evidenced by this display. The Andrews Syndicate-owned gelding stuck for home before the turn in and kept on bravely to hold Rince Deireanach by a length and a half.

“He’s a consistent horse who likes an ease in the ground. He’s tough and courageous and hopefully we will have plenty of fun with him this season when he gets soft ground,” reflected Gorman.

Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore ended the day with a treble but the success of Eminence (7/1) in the 10-furlong three-year-old handicap was marred by a chilling early incident from which Donnacha O’Brien happily emerged unscathed.

As the runners approached the roadway in the backstraight Jupiter Road just appeared to dive out to his right and take down the O’Brien-ridden South Pacific.

In the closing stages, the Moore-ridden Eminence stole through on the inner of Third World to deliver his bid and kept on well over the course of the last furlong to prevail by three and a half lengths from Elite Trooper Grey.

HORSE TO FOLLOW:

KING’S VOW (J.P. O’Brien): On his first outing since winning a Dundalk nursery in November, this colt put in some reasonable late work to finish fourth in the 10-furlong handicap won by Eminence. The benefit of this run and possibly a longer trip could see him better this form in due course.

ACTING STEWARDS:

T. Hunt, M. Cosgrave,

J.P. Byrne,

J. Gaisford-St.Lawrence, P.D. Matthews