JOHN Oxx further bolstered his outstanding record in the Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes as Tarana notched up her second listed success of 2014 to become her trainer’s sixth winner of this race since the turn of the century.

The only previous stakes winner in the field, Tarana (7/2) has been campaigned exclusively at listed and Group 3 level since making a successful debut in a Curragh maiden two years ago and has never been out of the first four.

Indeed, the Aga Khan-owned filly looked an especially solid contender for this prize, which was run for fillies for the first time.

Throughout the race Tarana held a good position for Declan McDonogh and she launched a strong challenge from the entrance to the straight. She soon made her way to the front on her way to a two and a quarter lengths win over the Killarney maiden winner Altesse with the Irish Oaks fourth Beyond Brilliance third. Interestingly Altesse’s great grandam, Alouette, defeated Tarana’s grandam, Tarakana, in the 1993 Oyster Stakes.

“She’s a really genuine filly who has run well all year,” said Oxx. “I made a mistake last time and put blinkers on her in the Give Thanks Stakes at Cork where she ran much too free but still ran well to finish fourth.

“There isn’t much more left for her this season although she could run in something like the Finale Stakes at the Curragh.”

In the first of the evening’s two-year-old races the Aidan O’Brien-trained 11/10 favourite Archangel Raphael did well to claim the Donnelly’s Of Barna EBF Maiden.

The Montjeu colt came into this extended mile race off a debut second at Killarney last month but he was among a number of runners who looked to be struggling in midfield after halfway.

To his credit Archangel Raphael responded steadily to Joseph O’Brien’s promptings and he got on top inside the distance before drawing on as the line loomed. He finished with two lengths to spare over Sarah Joyce.

“He is still green but he came home well and he will get further. It looked as though they went fast and Joseph took his time on him,” reported the winning trainer.

The Ballydoyle team were also on the mark with Vivat Rex, a son of Fastnet Rock and the Irish 1000 Guineas second Strawberry Roan, who made a winning debut in the Sean Cleary Memorial Maiden.

The 4/1 shot looked quite green at various stages of this mile and a half contest but picked up well when asked for his full effort in the straight and he surged by the front running Thunder Zone to prevail by two and a quarter lengths.

“He was a bit lazy and green but he’s a grand horse with a good attitude and the race worked out well for me,” reflected Joseph O’Brien.

Andy Oliver has an eye on some end of season stakes races for Could Should Would following her triumph in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden.

The two-year-old daughter of Jeremy, whose dam won at the highest level in Chile, came here off a heartening sixth in a Curragh maiden won by Found.

That effort saw her returned a well-supported 4/1 chance under Chris Hayes and the always prominent Could Should Would struck for home with over a furlong to run.

Brown Bee came home strongly inside the distance but the Oliver-owned filly held on by half a length. Unfortunately the Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite, Before Long, broke a leg in the early stages of this race.

“She’d shown a bit of form and although she probably got to the front a bit soon she won well,” reported the winning trainer.

“We’ve always though of her as a smart filly and possibly she’ll run in something like the C L Weld Park Stakes or the Silken Glider Stakes before the end of the season.”

Clondaw Warrior showed last month’s Roscommon defeat to be all wrong as he swooped late for a very cosy victory in the mile and a half apprentice handicap.

The Willie Mullins inmate was a heavily-backed winner at Tramore several weeks ago but was beaten into second when looking to follow up under a mandatory penalty at Roscommon two days later.

On this occasion the 6/4 chance was competing off a mark some 22lbs higher than the one he struck off at Tramore but this was no barrier to success.

Under a patient Colin Keane, Clondaw Warrior looked to be in decidedly unpromising position entering the last quarter of a mile. He scythed through the pack in some style in the straight though and swept by the front running Benkei late on to score by a length and a quarter.

Johnny Levins and Fergal Lynch combined for their second winner in as many days courtesy of Shukhov (11/1) in the Maggie May’s Loughrea Handicap.

The experienced five-year-old, who won during a spell in France earlier in the year, came here off several reasonable runs over middle distances and had no trouble dropping back to a mile.

The front running top-weight Cairdiuil made this a stern test from the front but he could not withstand the Seamus Mannion-owned Shukhov who found a way past with just over 100 yards to run.

“It took me a while to figure out his right trip and Fergal gave him a very intelligent ride, he kept taking him back and got him travelling well,” remarked Levins.

“I think he will really come into his own on the all weather and he might have one more run on turf before we freshen him up for Dundalk through the winter.”

The colours of Galway stalwart Herb Stanley were carried to victory by So Sensible in the James P Cunningham Electrical Handicap. As he looked to improve on a close third to Santo Romano at Ballinrobe last month the well backed 9/2 chance was perfectly positioned in behind the leaders for Pat Smullen.

So Sensible then moved to the front rounding the last bend and saw out his race well to defeat Tom Dooley by two lengths.

“I was pleased with his run at Ballinrobe the last day but he just didn’t stay the 10 furlongs,” reported Tracey Collins. “Seven furlongs or a mile is good for him and he’s a light framed horse so we’ll just see how he comes out of this before deciding where to go and he could jump a hurdle in time. I think he’s the first horse that Herb has bred.”

ACTING STEWARDS

P.J.A. O’Connor, J.R. Craigie, T.I. Naughton, H. Williams, P.W. Murtagh

HORSES TO FOLLOW

HARASAVA (D.K. Weld): This filly was beaten six and a half lengths into sixth in the maiden won by Could Would Should but ran better than her final position would suggest and she will be all the better for this initial experience.