MULTIPLE Group 1 star Order Of St George made a winning return to action in the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan, taking the 14-furlong feature easily from just two rivals.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained entire, now a six-year-old, chased the front-running Lord Yeats until taking over in front approaching the final furlong.

He pulled clear of that rival to score by five and a half lengths, with the only other runner, Clongowes, another 14 lengths farther back in third.

The 2/9 favourite was ridden by Ryan Moore, was giving weight to both his rivals, and looks on course for another crack at the Group 1 Gold Cup in June.

O'Brien said "I'm delighted with him, and hopefully he'll go for the Saval Beg (at Leopardstown on May 25th) which is what we usually do and then on to Ascot.

"He finishes out very well when he gets into his tempo, and he gallops up the hill. Ryan said he was very relaxed and moved very well. They would be the two things that you would love to hear.

"We were looking forward to getting him started, he was well ready to start and will hopefully progress on to the next one. He was in a nice place."

Paddy Power left Order Of St George unchanged at 7/2 for the Gold Cup, although RaceBets cut him to 5/2 favourite from 3/1.

The win made it a double on the card for O'Brien and Moore as they took the opening race with newcomer So Perfect (4/1), who may also be part of the Ballydoyle team heading to the Royal meeting.

The daughter of Scat Daddy got up in the dying strides to make a winning debut in the Tara Sires Irish EBF Fillies Maiden, collaring Mater Matuta by a short-head, with Silver Service three-quarters of a length away in third.

O'Brien said: "We're delighted with that for a first run. We were worried about the ground and experience, but she is obviously a very nice filly. She is a big, powerful filly.

"I'd say she is an Ascot filly and could run over five or six (furlongs). She could run at Naas (in the Listed Juvenile Fillies' Sprint over six furlongs on May 20th) for some more experience."

CLASSIC POTENTIAL

Mary Tudor put up an emphatic performance to open her account in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes.

The Godolphin-owned filly had been group-placed as a juvenile and made the ideal start to her three-year-old campaign as she ran out a ready winner on the step up to a mile and a quarter.

Billy Lee's mount quickened well a furlong out and went on to score by two and a half lengths from Dermot Weld's newcomer Hazel Bay, who shaped with great promise. Princess Yaiza was a further half a length back in third.

The winner is set to drop down to a mile for her next start, with trainer Willie McCreery keen to let the daughter of Dawn Approach take her chance in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas on May 27th, for which she was quoted at 14/1 with Paddy Power.

McCreery said: "She's a lovely mare and has shown that form last year. She settled and did it well. She should get a mile and a half in time and we might go straight to the (Irish) Guineas now.

"I wanted to get her out to see where we are going with her. The ground dried up enough for her and that was the only thing I'd be a bit worried about - se wouldn't want it any worse than that.

"I loved the way she quickened there when she saw the rising ground. She really put the head down, and it's good that she is holding her form and improving a little bit."

Lee made it a double when Hareth justified 13/8 favouritism in the 13-furlong Come To The Family Day May 19th Handicap.

LISTED SPRINT

The Broghie Man hung on grimly to spring a surprise in the Listed Committed Stakes.

Top French jockey Gerald Mosse - having his first ride at the track - was at his strongest to get the Adrian Keatley-trained three-year-old home by a short-head from the closing Speak In Colours.

Brick By Brick made the running until a furlong from home in the five-and-a-half-furlong affair, where The Broghie Man (10/1) made his decisive move to lift the prize. The two protagonists drew five lengths clear of Fleet Review in third.

Different League, a Royal Ascot winner last year when trained in France by Matthieu Palussiere, never got into a challenging position on his first start for Aidan O'Brien, despite being sent off the the 5/4 favourite, and trailed in fifth.

Keatley said of his winner: "It's good to get that job done and hopefully we'll head to Naas next for the Lacken (on May 20th). There is nothing really for him over five, so we'll go to Naas next and see what happens.

"Gerald was over last weekend riding work for the owner of London Icon (Simon Kwok) who is good friends with him in Hong Kong. It's good to get him as he has a wealth of knowledge and we are lucky to have him when we can.

"Hopefully if he can step up again then long term it might be the Commonwealth Cup (at Royal Ascot), but he'll have to go Group 3 next and see where we go from there. He loves that ground and that will have to be in his favour as well."

READ THE FULL NAVAN REPORT IN NEXT WEEKEND'S EDITION OF THE IRISH FIELD