SPREWELL could be one of the best horses Jessica Harrington has ever trained according to her daughter and assistant Kate. The bold statement came after the son of Churchill posted an impressive win in the Group 3 Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Racing in fourth, well off a strong pace set by Mohawk Chief, Shane Foley brought his mount through to challenge down the outside in the straight and swept by the favourite Proud And Regal with ease, with Up And Under, the Ballysax runner-up, eventually filling that position again but getting no closer than three lengths.

The Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Abdulrahim-owned colt has plenty of options among his entries and the sky is seemingly the limit for his connections.

“We let him down a bit after Naas and he got a little bit fat on us,” said the assistant trainer. “We kind of had to be quite hard on him the last 10 days but he’s come good today.

“He’s got fancy entries everywhere. It would be a dream for his owner Dr Khalid to go to the Derby but we’ll see how he comes out of this. He could be a horse for France, he’s very good on soft going. I think he’s a proper, proper horse, as good as we’ve ever had.

“I’d say the further he goes the better he’s going to get. He’s a really exciting horse and personally I think he’s only 80% there.”

Donnacha O’Brien was a little worried about the testing ground making this more of a stamina test for Proud And Regal on his seasonal debut and he will be better judged on his next start.

O’Brien managed to get on the score sheet when saddling a one-two in the concluding Fund A New Home With Festina Lente Handicap which featured a bizarre finish as Paddy Harnett lost his irons inside the final furlong but still managed to win the race on Amusement (4/1), scoring by a nose from Teutates.

The daughter of Galileo, owned by the Coolmore partners, was winless from five starts last season, but showed a fine attitude to score here off a mark of 79, and the winning rider is commended for not only staying on, but keeping his mount straight and true.

It was O’Brien’s sixth winner of the season already and he is operating at a 22% strike rate.

GER Lyons began the season slowly compared to his usual high standard but he was back in business on Sunday, teaming up with Colin Keane for a high profile double provided by Zarinsk (11/2) and Power Under Me (9/1), the latter giving Keane a treble himself on the day.

Zarinsk made virtually all to win the Group 3 Cornelscourt Stakes from the staying-on Tarawa.

The Juddmonte filly ran third in her comeback in the Priory Belle 1000 Guineas Trial and was winning on her first start over a mile.

“She is what you need in a racer - she’s honest,” Lyons said. “That ground is horrible and good ground will be no problem to her. I’d love her to relax a bit more and help herself get there that bit easily.

“We’ll look for a Group 2 with her now and hope that she matures as the season goes on, with the view that we could come back here for the Group 2 (Boomerang Mile) on Irish Champions Weekend.”

Just over a half an hour later, the Meath trainer was back in the winner’s enclosure through Power Under Me, who gave Keane a treble on the card, taking advantage of a slowly run Listed Amethyst Stakes, to out speed You Send Me late in the final furlong.

“Colin said it turned into a bit of a sprint which probably suited him and probably gives you a bit of a false reading of the horse,” Lyons said. “He’s probably between trips, probably not an out-and-out miler, I don’t think he’s quick enough for sprint trips any more.

“He loves the ground, you can see that with his action. I thought that type of race was within his remit but his last two races didn’t fill me with confidence.”

Speaking after Zarinsk’s win, Lyons was typically forthright when asked about his start to the season:

“I took a view that the ground was so bad, so I’d wait until after Punchestown and I’ve really launched them this week - I think we’ve had four or five seconds. I just don’t have good horses. I’ve a nice bunch of two-year-olds, but I don’t have good older horses.

“It’s a reality check. I sold on, moved or retired so many good horses, mostly fillies, last year and they’re just so hard to replace.”

Andy Slattery’s Smooth Tom (10/1) was a smooth winner of the penultimate 10-furlong handicap, travelling well in a first-time visor for the trainer’s son Andrew, before sweeping to the front on the outside to come three lengths clear of Giladah.

This was much more like it from Margaret O’Rourke’s gelding, who had struggled to get competitive in his two races this term. He won here off a mark of 83, and with his trainer feeling the headgear made a big difference, he’s likely to go for a premier handicap on Guineas weekend next.

Azazat impresses in Keane treble

DERMOT Weld and the Aga Khan had their main attention on Tahiyra in the 1000 Guineas but they had a smart winner at Leopardstown in the shape of Azazat (4/6f), who kicked off a treble for Colin Keane.

The daughter of Camelot travelled comfortably off a strong pace set by Queenstown and came just under five lengths clear of that rival inside the final furlong to capture the 10-furlong Captain Dara Fitzpatrick Memorial Maiden.

“Colin was very complimentary of her,” said Kris Weld, son and assistant trainer to Dermot. “She has a Ribblesdale entry and an Oaks entry. Maybe a race like the Naas Oaks Trial might fit in her programme.”

The Aga Khan also took the opening contest, the John R Fitzpatrick Agricultural Contractor Maiden, with a similar promising type in Sharlouk (6/5f), this time with Johnny Murtagh and Ben Coen. The son of Zoustar was a comprehensive winner from main market rival Subzero. He has progressed nicely though his trainer had no firm plans made.

The 10-furlong Clayton Hotel Leopardstown Fillies Maiden featured a comfortable success for Warm Heart (13/8f), who travelled well and stayed on strongly to see off all her rivals, with the 25/1 shot Aghadowey coming through for second. The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly seemed to appreciate the step up in trip. She has lots of fancy entries and may well develop into a pattern class filly.