GROUP 1-placed mare Rosscarbery made a winning seasonal return in the Munster Oaks at Cork, following her sale to Lady Bamford last November.

Winner of the 2022 renewal and subsequently runner-up in the top-level Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville, Rosscarbery was bought by Bamford for 1,000,000gns last November and won on her reappearance under Billy Lee, who later recorded a double.

Rosscarbery drifted left inside the last 150 yards, briefly bumping Azazat, but the result stood following an enquiry.

“She was great last year, danced every dance and when the new owners asked me to take her back in January, it wasn’t a hard decision,” winning trainer Paddy Twomey said.

“She won five times last year and was second, third, fourth and fifth in Group 1s and has a high level of form. She gave Emily Dickinson 17lb in Leopardstown last year and beat her.

“We didn’t think past today but she will have entries in all the good races. Lady Bamford has a very good filly (Soul Sister) which won the Oaks last week so I’m sure she’d like them to stay apart.

“I’d love the idea of going to Santa Anita (for the Breeders’ Cup) in November. She was ready to start today and has done very well and I think she’ll improve. She’s had a good time.”

Lee’s double was completed with Chica Power’s 14/1 win in the first division of the Racing Again July 14th Handicap.

Winning trainer Pat Martin later stated: “We went to Listowel the last day, rode her aggressively as we had a poor draw and got a good position but she didn’t get home.

“Seven (furlongs) is her trip and we were pretty hopeful as Dylan (Browne McMonagle) liked her the last day. He is at Fairyhouse but we got a very good deputy in Billy. He said she travelled well, picked up when he wanted to and was straightforward enough.”

The winning Zoom Buddies Syndicate were, appropriately, absent and Martin added: “It was worth the trip down for me but the syndicate are from Dunboyne and it is a long way down. They’ll be pleased though.”

STAR Kissed (5/2 favourite) continued a family tradition in winning the evening’s other marquee contest, finally landing the Cork Derby for her trainer Ger Lyons.

The Newtown Anner Stud-owned filly registered her third win this year, holding on well under Colin Keane to defeat last year’s runner-up Safecracker by a neck.

Successful sire Sea The Stars had been responsible for the earlier Munster Oaks winner Rosscarbery, a race which Star Kissed’s half-sister Thunder Kiss claimed in 2021. Shane Lyons, representing his brother, reported: “This was an unlucky race for us until now — we’ve run some good horses which have been beaten but she is after putting that right. The previous race was always our race!”

“We’re delighted with how she is progressing through the ranks in baby steps. Today is the first day she looked like she had filled into her frame and, as we said previously, it is all about next year. If she is good enough next year we’ll look for blacktype.

“She is keeping the show on the road for us and I’m delighted for Maurice (Regan) as he is a great patron of ours and he’ll get a great kick out of that as she is from a good family.”

Trainer Natalia Lupini and jockey Wayne Lordan combined for handicap doubles, beginning with 80-rated Running Cool’s success in a five-furlong sprint. The son of Bobby’s Kitten raced prominently throughout and scored readily from Mount Ruapehu.

Winning owner and Lupini’s partner Craig Bryson later commented: “He is progressing away well and was down in trip but has always shown plenty of pace at home.

“He looks like a seven-furlong horse but he is racey and likes to get on with it, so we dropped him back in trip.

“He will progress, will mature into himself as he is still a wee bit raw to look at. We like him, hopefully he can keep going and we’ll step him up gradually. He got away with the ground today but wants quick ground.”

Five races later Lupini and Lordan completed their doubles, with nicely supported Talia (morning 20/1 returned 10/1) winning easily for Italian owner Angelo Matta.

The daughter of Zoustar scored by three lengths, from Sondheim and afterwards Bryson reported: “Natalia doesn’t have her long, six or seven weeks. We hoped she’d be a wee bit better than this class. Paddy Twomey had bought her as a yearling and everything she has done at home, she has done it well. She is a nice one to have and I think she will improve.

“Six or seven furlongs is no problem for her and she travels well.”

THE Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Midsummer Sprint Stakes saw French import Go Athletico score on his Irish debut for trainer Ado McGuinness and new joint-owners Team Valor and Shamrock Thoroughbreds.

A Deauville listed race winner on April 6th, the five-year-old was jointly-purchased 22 days later by Team Valor and Shamrock Thoroughbreds for €165,000.

At Cork the son of Goken won readily to provide jockey Ronan Whelan with a double.

McGuinness reported: “He was pointed out to Stephen (Thorne, assistant) when he was in an online French sale and I don’t think his trainer (Andreas Schutz) wanted to lose him at the time. Stephen rang Barry Irwin (of Team Valor) and Jimmy Fairhurst and he was bought - I’m delighted for them.”

“I knew by his work at home that he was a very smart horse and Ronan was very good on him and kept it simple. He has carried plenty of weight today and has done it very easily.

“We were glad there was juice in the ground and he is a great horse to have. We’ll enter him up in a few big sprint races in Ireland and we’ll have the Flying Five to look forward to at Champions Weekend at the end of the year — he won’t disgrace himself, that’s for sure.”

Whelan was earlier successful on Nicky Hartery’s homebred Son Of Sampers (9/4 favourite) in the Mallow Maiden, providing joint-licensed trainers Michael Halford and Tracey Collins with the opening leg of a cross-card double.

Halford was at Fairyhouse where Master Matt scored and at Cork, and Collins commented: “He is progressing, is going the right way and has started to strengthen.

“He has a good page, Michael has always liked him, has given him time and has strengthened from race to race. Hopefully he will continue to go forward. Sprinting is his forte.”

The opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Fillies) Maiden was won in fine style by Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd’s Mysteries, which finished well under Gavin Ryan to beat Clarita by a length and three-parts.

“We always thought she was a smart filly but she probably wants seven furlongs or a mile and she definitely looked like that today,” said winning trainer Donnacha O’Brien. “It looked like that the last day as well but I thought this was a nice race for her and it is nice to get her started with a win. She is not as compact as other No Nay Nevers, is scopier and looks more like a classic filly than some. She will probably step up to the Silver Flash and the Debutante.”