ON several occasions last season she showed that a good prize could be within her grasp and Diamond Fields turned out on her comeback to upstage Alice Springs in the Group 3 Gladness Stakes.

Another early season winner for the newly forged, red-hot combination of Chris Hayes and Fozzy Stack, Diamond Fields was returning to domestic action following a spell in America last autumn which yielded two Grade 2 placings.

Only five went to post for the Gladness but it was an enthralling race as the complexion changed several times over the course of the last furlong. The front-running Blue De Vega initially looked as though he would hold on but he began to falter, which paved the way for Alice Springs to pounce.

However, Diamond Fields, who was the first under pressure, came with a whirlwind charge that carried her to the front late on. She defeated Alice Springs by half a length with Blue De Vega the same distance back in third.

“That was a very good ride from Chris as she doesn’t kill herself once she hits the front. She was perhaps a shade unlucky in the Sandringham at Ascot last year when she was second to a Group 1 filly and then she ran well in America,” said Stack. “She could come back for the Athasi next month and then we’ll see whether it’s Ascot or a race in New York around the same time. Her owner Mary Slack has been a great supporter of ours. She’s had a lot of success in South Africa but this is her biggest winner in either England or Ireland.”

The Ralph Beckett-trained Air Pilot ensured the day’s other Group 3 prize went for export as he pounced late to deny Success Days in the Dr Vincent O’Brien Centenary Alleged Stakes. A Group 3 winner at the Curragh two years ago, this sparingly campaigned eight-year-old lined up with just 16 previous outings to his name.

Success Days adopted his habitual position at the head of the field and held a useful lead for much of the straight. However, Fran Berry wound up Air Pilot to deliver a sustained challenge which saw the 6/1 chance edge ahead in the last couple of strides. Last year’s Derby second US Army Ranger was over three lengths back in third and he will return here for next month’s Mooresbridge Stakes.

“The last time I was here Klairon Davis was running over hurdles,” reflected Beckett. “He’s a great old campaigner and this is his level, a Group 3 on soft ground. It’s great for Fran who is a wonderful team player and hopefully he’ll enjoy a clear run of things this season.”

The remainder of the card belonged to Pat Smullen who reeled off a treble that concluded with a most impressive display from Tocco D’Amore in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. The €2m top lot from the 2015 Orby Sale, who hails from the legendary Kilcarn Park dynasty that has produced so many top-class runners, looks a high-class filly on this evidence.

Smullen took his time aboard the Moyglare Stud-owned daughter of Raven’s Pass but she asserted in some style heading into the last quarter of a mile. After getting to the front with over a furlong to run, the only filly in the field handed out a six-length beating to the front-running Clongowes.

“It was her first run and I thought she might need it but I’m not surprised,” reflected Dermot Weld. “We’ll look at an Oaks trial next and she’s one that should progress throughout the year.”

Smullen was also on board the Weld-trained and Moyglare-owned Sorelle Delle Rose who made short work of her rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over six furlongs. This daughter of Dark Angel showed up well on her debut over this course and distance last October, which saw her head the market at 6/5, and she had this race under control from some way out. The own-sister to Sovereign Debt stretched clear in the closing stages to win by three lengths.

“She’s just a good filly and she was only getting going when she met the rising ground,” observed Weld. “She’ll have no trouble going seven furlongs and she’ll head for the Group 3 Athasi Stakes next.”

T FOR NASH

The betting for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden pointed to James Nash’s T For Tango and the Zoffany colt duly rewarded those that backed from 16/1 in the morning into 5/1 to give the trainer his first juvenile winner. The €80,000 yearling purchase, for whom Smullen was a notable booking, turned in a professional display and began to assert nearing the last furlong. He soon had the measure of the Ballydoyle newcomer Sioux Nation before holding fellow first-timer Guessthebill by a head.

“He’s a beautiful colt and he’s never disappointed us in anything that he has been asked to do,” declared Nash, whose charge is owned by the HLT Partnership. “Pat really likes him, he’ll surely improve from this and better ground won’t be a problem for him either. We won’t be in any rush with him.”

Almost three years after he made a winning debut at Cork, the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Rapid Applause (9/1) gained an overdue second success in the six-furlong handicap. This five-year-old looked an especially unlucky loser at Dundalk last month but made no mistake with a last to first charge under Leigh Roche.

Mizaah looked to have been delivered with a perfectly timed challenge to lead inside the distance but he had no answer to Rapid Applause who swept by late on.

“He was a very good two-year-old and was rated 110 but he lost his way, then got a leg and it’s been a long road back for him,” remarked O’Callaghan. “He’s come down the handicap and hopefully there might be another one of these in him. I’m pleased for the owners (Equine Partners Syndicate) as they had him when he was a two-year-old.”

The capable Aared (9/2), who was placed in the Irish Cambridgeshire last season, made a successful return to action in the 10-furlong handicap. The Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned five-year-old came through from the rear under Gary Halpin to pounce in the last furlong for a length and a quarter triumph.

“He’s a genuine horse who kept running good races last season and he’s from the same family as Awtaad,” reported Prendergast. “He got a nice, patient ride from Gary and settled well. This sort of trip suits him well.”

Moore ban

RYAN Moore was given a one-day careless riding ban after the stewards looked into an incident in the straight in which the fifth placed Lightening Fast was hampered.

ACTING STEWARDs

N. O’Byrne, J. Tyrrell, Mrs T.K. Cooper, J. McStay, M.F. O’Donoghue

Horse To Follow

SMOULDER (A.P. O’Brien): This half-sister to Legatissimo had to settle for sixth on her debut but she can do much better next time and she won’t be long in making her mark.