THE regally bred Ocean Jewel looked the best prospect on show at this fixture as she opened her account at the second attempt with a stylish display in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, which kicked off a double for Willie McCreery and Billy Lee.

A Sioux Nation half-sister to the classic-winning Mother Earth and a first Irish winner for Al Shira’aa Racing Limited, whose colours could become a much more familiar sight in the coming seasons, Ocean Jewel ran with credit on her debut at the Curragh last month.

That run left the impression that she had plenty to offer, and she relished the drop back to the minimum trip. The 11/10 favourite tanked through the race, quickened smartly to take control over a furlong from home and had plenty to spare in beating Bonny Power by four lengths.

“She is a lovely filly and will step up in class but we will take our time because she is still growing a lot. She has always worked nicely and that’s what she has been doing at home,” stated McCreery.

Progressing

The trainer and jockey then followed up in the older horses’ sprint maiden with the 71-rated Sceolan who was progressing on her close third in a similar event at Tipperary last month. The McCreery-owned 2/1 favourite quickened with purpose to lead inside the distance but was clinging on at the line where a bobbing finish with Gobi Star went her way by a nose.

“Billy gave her a great ride and I’m delighted she’s held on as I thought that we were done,” commented the trainer. “She has plenty of ability but when she hits the front she just parks up and we were lucky to hold on.”

FOR the third time in four years the Grant Thornton Ulster Cesarewitch went to Noel Meade as the in-form Sheishybrid continued her recent progression to ensure that Colin Keane matched Billy Lee’s double with a brace of his own.

Sheishybrid (5/2) has been in excellent form over hurdles lately and readily transitioned back to the level for this two-and-a-quarter-mile affair. The four-year-old was travelling powerfully in the lead inside the last half mile and kept on determinedly over the last furlong and a half to fend off the admirable Peregrine Run by a length and a quarter.

“We thought when she was a three-year-old that she was going to be a stakes filly and she disappointed us, ”said Meade. “It’s not until we put her over the longer trip over hurdles and stretched her on the flat that she has improved. Next year, if she went up a bit, she might be a contender for the Ascot Stakes.”

Meade also supplied Keane with his other winner as Pub Talk (3/1) claimed the 47-70 rated Grant Thornton Nursery over seven furlongs.

The Ken Parkhill-owned son of Mondialiste had shaped with promise on his last couple of starts and was delivered with a brilliantly timed effort by the reigning champion as he pounced deep inside the last furlong to edge out Distillate by a head.

“He went a mile in Killarney which was too far and then we dropped back to almost six furlongs Navan which was too short, so we got it right today. Colin thinks he would enjoy Dundalk,” reported the trainer who had moved on to 11 winners for the season by the end of the evening.

THE all-conquering Peter Fahey made it four winners in as many race-days as the Sam Ewing-ridden Sign From Above continued the trainer’s stunning form in the 47-65 rated Grant Thornton Handicap over an extended mile and a half.

This son of Sea The Stars, who is owned by the trainer’s wife Ber, was having his first run for over two months and was making his handicap debut as he switched from Jessica Harrington to Fahey.

The four-year-old was as big as 12/1 in the morning before being returned at 11/2 and he posted a nice effort to defeat Firstman by two and a quarter lengths after striking the front around a quarter of a mile out. He can be placed to further advantage this autumn.

“He did it well and I think he will improve a good bit from it,” commented Fahey. “He’s still a big baby. I’ve had him from a couple of weeks after his last run and he has schooled well over hurdles so he is something to look forward to.”

Panic

Earlier Jessica Harrington’s lightly raced juvenile Panic Alarm (6/4) returned from over three months off to take the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden in likeable style and might be one that could climb the ranks somewhat this autumn.

The Hronis Racing-owned gelding, who was fourth on his debut in a Curragh maiden that produced Little Big Bear and Shartash, was given a canny ride by Shane Foley who pounced inside the last 150 yards to defeat Semblance Of Order by a length and a quarter.

“His form was very strong in his first two runs, we just decided to geld him after that and he has really grown up and settled down since then. He enjoyed that trip,” remarked Foley.

Matthew Smith kicked off an across-the-cards double as Blackcastle Storm (12/1) and Jake Coen claimed the 50-70 rated BBFC Handicap over 10 furlongs. The Up The Bog Road Syndicate-owned five-year-old made most of the running and sustained his effort in fine style to contain the oncoming favourite, Yokkell, over the last furlong. This effort followed a second to his stablemate Snag It at Tipperary last month.