CAIRDE Go Deo is firmly on course for next month’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks as she notched up her second listed success of the season with a determined front-running triumph in the King George V Cup.

The Ger Lyons filly already had a win against the colts to her name in last month’s Yeats Stakes at Navan and with her stamina assured over this mile-and-a-half trip Colin Keane elected to dictate a tempo to suit himself on the Mark Dobbin-owned filly.

Early in the straight, the 11/10 shot looked vulnerable as the evens favourite Boundless Ocean loomed up with some menace.

The Camelot filly responded generously to her rider’s promptings and moved away again inside the final furlong to carry the day by a length with Inuit a further length and a half back in third in this four-runner affair.

“The dream is still alive. She’s still in the Irish Oaks and that’s the next port of call,” said Lyons. “She was in the Munster Oaks next week but with the weather that is due to come in on Monday, we took the view that it was lovely ground here tonight and we were taking on our own age group and it’s paid off.

She’s a lovely, big striding filly and the last Camelot we had was Even So and she reminds me a lot of her.”

Focus surprises

Earlier in the evening there was a 20/1 surprise in the 50-80 rated mile handicap where the Luke Comer-owned, trained and bred Focus Required struck under Nathan Crosse.

The relatively lightly raced six-year-old came with a steady and uninterrupted challenge on the outer in the straight and struck the front late in the day to defeat Zahee by a length and a half.

Harrington’s Cadillac motors on

A RESURGENT Cadillac offered a timely reminder of what he is capable of as outclassed his opponents in the Listed Glencairn Stakes ahead of a trip to the Goffs London Sale on Monday week.

A high-class juvenile and successful at Group 3 level last term, the Alpha Racing-owned four-year-old hadn’t been at his best in two starts this term but the application of first time blinkers brought about a major revival.

The 9/4 chance picked up nicely for Shane Foley when making his challenge early in the straight and he left his rivals toiling in vain as he finished just under four lengths clear of Georgeville.

“Shane said that’s the first time in a while that he’s given him a feel like that,” stated Jessica Harrington’s daughter Kate. “He’s going to the Goffs sale on the eve of Royal Ascot where he will be entered in the Wolferton Stakes.

“Usually, the Alpha horses are sold at the end of their three-year-old careers but we said we’d keep him on at four and then it was always the plan to head to the Ascot Sale.”

Startedwithakiss has certainly rewarded the patience of her connections this season and the extended mile-and-a-half apprentice handicap saw her take her tally to two wins and two placings from four outings since returning from well over a year off at Gowran Park in the spring.

The Linda Shanahan and Sue Magnier-owned daughter of Fastnet Rock, who defeated the smart bumper mare The Model Queen in a Roscommon maiden last time, got a canny ride from Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Startedwithakiss again

The 5/2 joint-favourite slipped into a good lead early in the straight and soon had the race in safe keeping to eventually register a cosy one and three-quarter length success over the staying-on Arctic Blaze.

“She missed nearly all of her three-year-old year and we thought she was worth keeping on, declared O’Brien. “The Munster Oaks on Wednesday might come a bit soon and hopefully she is a filly that will make her way to stakes company.”

Sheyya stars in Murtagh and Coen’s fine double

IT was a fine night for Johnny Murtagh and Ben Coen who enjoyed a double and the pair have quite a prospect in the Aga Khan-owned Sheyya who made a winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over seven furlongs.

This daughter of Starspangledbanner was allowed to go off at 14/1 but looked a class act as she cruised through the race and from well over a furlong out she had the 2/7 favourite Unless covered.

Sheyya was driven out to score by a length from fellow newcomer Madly Truly and left the impression that there could be much more to come from her as the season progresses.

“Ben was very impressed. He said she travelled really well and quickened up good,” remarked Murtagh. “She should improve plenty from it and Ben said she loved the ground which was good to firm, so she’s exciting.”

Bear roars

The Australia-bound Chicago Bear struck for the same partnership in the nine-furlong handicap just a day after being purchased by OTI Racing. After besting a field of 25 rivals at the Curragh on Guineas weekend, Chicago Bear only had 11 rivals to contend with this time but he was moving into a higher grade of handicap. He produced a lovely effort to lead over a furlong out and he sustained his effort right to the line to hold the persistent effort of Coill Na Sionainne by half a length.

“Terry Henderson from OTI was up here this week and I showed him a couple of horses and he picked him. He is bound for Australia and I’d say he could make up into a nice horse there,” commented the trainer.

Bolger’s Voice

The Murtagh-trained Highland King was a well-supported 15/8 favourite in the 47-70 three-year-old 10-furlong handicap but he had to give best to I Have A Voice who rewarded a late plunge that saw him backed from 8/1 into 4/1 on track.

Jim Bolger’s charge struck for home approaching the straight and answered Kevin Manning’s every call to keep the favourite at bay. I Have A Voice, who carries the colours of American-based Molly & Paul Willis Racing, was pulling away in the last furlong and hit the line with just over three lengths to spare.

The winner was making just the sixth appearance of his career and might well be one to follow over the coming weeks.