THE Leopardstown meeting on Sunday was another card run on a sound surface and it was surprising to see most races run at a steady gallop before a fast finish; in general, this was a card that favoured those ridden close to the pace.

The one exception was the Amethyst Stakes where the leaders went hard, the first three coming from off the pace. The gallop was strong enough that Excellent Believe, who often races prominently, couldn’t go with them from early on before keeping on late in third.