AS has been the case with many of his stablemates this season, Sioux Nation stepped forward markedly on his comeback effort to land the Group 3 Goffs Lacken Stakes and fuel thoughts of a victorious return to Royal Ascot.

Last year’s Phoenix Stakes and Norfolk Stakes winner was shouldering a Group 1 penalty and had to reverse form with the three that finished in front of him at Navan last month. However, a switch to quick ground was always going to bring out the best in this Scat Daddy colt and he turned in a smart display under Ryan Moore to fully justify his position as the 15/8 favourite.

In a race run at a decent pace, Sioux Nation was nicely placed on the inner and, after travelling powerfully, he picked up well to head stablemate Fleet Review as the last furlong loomed.

Sioux Nation quickly opened up a useful lead and Moore didn’t have to get especially vigorous for him to account for his aforementioned opponent by a length and a quarter. Speak In Colours was a neck back in third with Now You’re Talking the same distance away in fourth.

“We came here to find out whether we’d take on the older horses over the five furlongs of the King’s Stand or wait for the Commonwealth Cup against the three-year-olds,” said O’Brien. “Ryan said that he has all the speed in the world but we might well go against the three-year-olds at Ascot and look forward to going five furlongs in the Nunthorpe later in the season.”

ASCOT

As expected, O’Brien’s Sergei Prokofiev completed his Ascot preparations in flawless style with a display of some authority in the Listed Coolmore War Command Rochestown Stakes. The Scat Daddy colt looked every inch a top drawer juvenile when bolting up in a Navan maiden a month ago; he confirmed that impression here.

Only four rivals deigned to take on the Moore-ridden 2/7 favourite and all of them had won last time out but none was able to match the Ballydoyle inmate. Shortly after passing halfway, Sergei Prokofiev made his way to the front and with over a furlong to run he held a commanding and ever increasing lead. He only needed to be pushed along to post a leisurely four-length triumph over Andre Amaar and he remains the standout favourite for next month’s Coventry Stakes.

“He’s learning and when there’s more pace in front of him it would be a help,” commented O’Brien. “He has options at Ascot with the Coventry and the Norfolk Stakes and he’d be just as happy over five or six furlongs.”

HARRINGTON AGAIN

An excellent afternoon for Jessica Harrington yielded a listed race double which concluded when Servalan (10/1) looked a class act in outpointing her stablemate Chicas Amigas in the Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes.

This Vimal Khosla-owned daughter of No Nay Never was an unlucky loser on her debut at Dundalk and she missed the break slightly this time but that didn’t compromise her chances in any way.

Seamie Heffernan was quite happy to take his time on Servalan who arrived with a strong challenge on the outer to dispute the lead with Chicas Amigas as the last furlong loomed. Servalan soon held the upper hand and she kept on well to prevail by a length and a quarter. Skitter Scatter took third ahead of the odds-on So Perfect who didn’t enjoy the smoothest of passages on the inner.

“They are both very good fillies and they will both go to Ascot,” declared Harrington. “The winner missed the break slightly and Seamie dropped her out but she quickened up well. Both she and the second were having just their second runs and they will come on again.”

Earlier, Harrington’s Brother Bear (5/2) notched up his first victory since last year’s Marble Hill Stakes as he landed the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes. In an open edition of this seven-furlong heat the Mill House-owned son of Kodiac got to the front for Colm O’Donoghue early in the straight and it wasn’t long before Brother Bear held a useful lead. The returning Riyazan came home well but was never able to land a telling blow and his effort came up a length and a half short.

“He had a nice run here last time (third in the Tetrarch Stakes) and that’s the first time he’s good to firm ground since last summer and he appreciated it,” stated Jessica Harrington. “I’m not sure he’ll get a mile at this stage so he will stick to seven furlongs and the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot looks the logical race for him.”

Fresh from a fine third in the Athasi Stakes earlier this month, Broadway ensured the card got off to the perfect start for the Ballydoyle team with a smooth success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden. The Galileo half-sister to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Danedream made the running for Ryan Moore and she opened up a decent lead with over a furlong to run which her rivals never looked likely to bridge. At the line, the 10/11 favourite had two and a half lengths to spare over Kalaxana.

“She did it nicely and was entitled to on last run. She’ll probably step into a stakes race next,” declared Aidan O’Brien.

ACTING STEWARDS

S. Barry, P. McCartan, Mrs. T.K. Cooper, T. Breen, H. Hynes

Horse To Follow

SCRIOBH NUA (J.S. Bolger): This very well-bred daughter of New Approach showed up well on her debut to finish third in the maiden won by Broadway. She can suceed in a similar contest.

Racing abandoned

CONCERNS about slippery ground on the bend at the entrance to the straight resulted in the card coming to a premature end after five races.

The first two races of the day took place over a mile and then seven furlongs and encompassed the bend in question. After the opening maiden, jockeys Dylan Hogan, Seamie Heffernan, Ryan Moore and Leigh Roche all reported that their mounts either slipped or lost their footing on the bend.

An enquiry followed with McDonogh and Heffernan being interviewed in the presence of clerk of the course Brendan Sheridan. After hearing recommendations from the riders and the clerk of the course the stewards ordered that the starting stalls be moved to the right for the second race and that additional ground repairs take place in advance of the sixth race.

Concerns persisted after the second race that the bend was slippy and it was deemed to be unfit for racing. This did not impact on the third, fourth and fifth races which took place on the sprint track, but races six and seven, which were handicaps due to take place around the bend in question and were set to be contested by double digit fields, were abandoned.

It was announced to racegoers after the fourth race that the sixth and seventh contests on the card were being abandoned in the interests of safety owing to the slippy surface on the turn for home. Watering had taken place on the bend in question which received two separated applications on Thursday and Saturday but the issue arose as a result of shower which took place just before racing began. “The problem isn’t the bend, it’s the underfoot conditions,” reported Naas manager Tom Ryan. “It’s unfortunate and desperately disappointing to lose the last two races but there was never any element of pressure of being put on anyone and everyone’s safely is paramount.”