THIS all two-year-old card became the latest instalment in the enthralling battle for this season’s jockeys’ championship and a double for Pat Smullen, which he completed on the classy London Icon, moved him back to within four winners of Colin Keane ahead of last night’s Dundalk fixture.

The previous evening, Keane had shaded the reigning champion by two winners to one but it was Smullen’s turn to hit back.

London Icon, an Adrian Keatley-trained colt, posted a fine effort on his debut at the Curragh in late August to finish third to Gobi Desert and he took full advantage of the opening presented by the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden.

This one-mile contest looked an easier assignment than the one that the son of Elzaam faced on his debut and supporters of the 9/10 favourite never had a moment’s concern. Smullen made the running on the Alan Harte-owned colt and opened up a commanding lead with over a furlong to run. In the closing stages, London Icon maintained a relentless tempo to finish three and a quarter lengths clear of Night Of Power.

“He’s a fair horse and we’ve always thought a bit of him,” said Keatley. “We’ve liked him since the spring but he’s a big, scopey horse so we were never in any rush with him and he’ll make the winter shorter now. There is a Group 3 at Leopardstown that he could go for but Pat did feel that nicer ground would suit better so we’ll just have to see whether he runs again this season.”

Smullen’s first winner came courtesy of Aurora Eclipse (15/8) who returned from over two months off in the five-furlong maiden. The Michael O’Callaghan inmate showed plenty of promise to finish a close second on her initial run during the summer and had no difficulty dropping back in distance. The daughter of Kodiac, who is owned by Alan Quinn, was always close to the pace and asserted passing the furlong pole en route to a one and three-quarter-length triumph over the staying on Gottardo.

“She’s done that well and went to the line well so a return to six furlongs would be no problem for her,” reflected the rider. “She dug deep when she met the rising ground and whatever she does for the rest of this year will be a bonus as she will be a lovely filly for next year.”

MURTAGH’S EXCELLENT SEASON

Johnny Murtagh further enhanced an excellent season with his juvenile team as he reeled off a double that was completed by Yolo Star (6/1) in the five-furlong nursery. This £10,000 yearling purchase hadn’t run since winning a Cork maiden on her third start in May but that absence was no problem to the daughter of Society Rock. The Fitzwilliam Racing-owned filly made nearly all the running under Niall McCullagh for a two-length victory over the lightly weighted Stewardess.

“She just got held up with a niggly problem after she won at Cork and I was a little worried if she was fit enough for today but she’s a very tough filly with a lot of heart,” stated Murtagh, who has won with nine of the 14 two-year-olds he has run this season.

Earlier Murtagh and Fitzwilliam Racing struck with the Shane Foley-ridden Mister Magic (7/1) in the six-furlong claimer.

The 54-rated colt had struggled on soft ground lately but the yielding going was much more in his favour and he came through against the far rail to take charge of this race early in the last furlong. He finished three-parts of a length ahead of the 77-rated Moltoir.

“Niall (McCullagh) just felt the ground was against him the last twice he ran and he enjoyed the better ground today,” commented Murtagh. “I think he’s better than he’s shown so far and there could be another one in him before the end of the year.”

Colin Keane’s winner came courtesy of Who’s Steph whose clear-cut triumph in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden marks her out as yet another one that Ger Lyons can look forward to in 2018.

As she looked to build on a solid midfield finish in a hot Leopardstown maiden last month, the daughter of Zoffany inched closer to the leaders from over two furlongs out. When market leader Minnie Haha drifted across the track, Who’s Steph (2/1) was unwinding with a strong last furlong charge and, despite only leading late on, Keane’s mount stormed clear to score by three lengths.

“She’s a lovely filly who is still green and it was only in the last 100 yards or so that she really put her head down,” remarked Shane Lyons. “She’s a filly we like and it’s possible that she might run in a listed race at Navan on Sunday but we may also decide to wait until next year.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Flag Of Honour (4/6) progressed very well from an unplaced debut at this track 10 days previously to dominate the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. When this Galileo colt was brought to the inner to make his challenge inside the last quarter of a mile, he responded impressively. He didn’t take long to hit the front and he stayed on powerfully for Seamie Heffernan to defeat the promising newcomer Jewel Maker by four and a half lengths.

“He won like a favourite should do. He’s a little nervy, but he’s got an engine,” was the winning rider’s summation of the victory.

Scoil Naisiunta (13/2) routed her rivals in the one-mile nursery to deliver on the promise she showed to reach the frame on her first two outings in handicaps. The 60-rated daughter of Intense Focus was well placed in the front rank off the final bend and, when she was asked to assert by Kevin Manning, she stretched clear in fine style to finish four and a half lengths ahead of the top-weight, Isaac Wonder.

“The first-time cheekpieces sharpened her up a bit. She’ll go for another nursery,” reported Jim Bolger, whose wife, Jackie, owns the filly.

ACTING STEWARDS

J. Powell, Mrs T.K. Cooper, P. McCartan, A. Byrne, L. Walsh

HORSE TO FOLLOW

GOTTARDO (J.A. Stack): He showed good progress from his debut to finish a clear second to Aurora Eclipse and his turn shouldn’t be long in coming.