THE classy Ainippe relished her first try at seven furlongs and bagged her second Group 3 prize of the season in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Brownstown Stakes which already had Ger Lyons looking to a possible four-year-old campaign for his charge.

The Qatar Racing-owned filly was looking to build on her first pattern race triumph in last month’s Ballyogan Stakes but the trip was a major unknown and the classy Majestic Queen represented a notable stumbling block.

However, the Colin Keane-ridden Ainippe answered every questioned asked of her and more to consign Majestic Queen to a second consecutive runner-up finish in this race.

After travelling nicely into the straight the 3/1 second favourite then went in pursuit of Majestic Queen and Queen Nefertiti. Ainippe steadily mastered those rivals early in the last furlong and she finished out her race well to score by a length and a half while Queen Nefertiti and Slipper Orchid dead-heated for third.

“I never through that she was just a five or six-furlong horse but she just has a lot of natural speed,” said Lyons. “She was off her feet early on but she tries very hard and you just have to let her come into the race on her own terms.

“She would be a filly that you could look at the Matron Stakes with as a four-year-old if she did stay in training. There are no firm plans but the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster in September could be a possibility.”

Only three runners contested the concluding mile and a half rated race for three-year-olds but it still looked an intriguing contest and produced a decent winner in Archangel Raphael.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was having his first run since winning a Galway maiden last September and had to take on his promising stablemate Outspoken and the Ulster Derby winner Botany Bay.

Joseph O’Brien made the running on the 13/8 shot who first dealt with Botany Bay before easily containing the effort of Outspoken. Archangel Raphael finished with two lengths to spare and could easily hold his own in smart company later in the season.

“He’s quite laid back and the cheekpieces were a help to him,” reported the winning rider. “He won cosily enough at the line and the mile and a half was no problem, I’d say he could even get further in time.”

Gussy Goose confirmed the promise of a recent maiden win at Gowran as she defied top-weight in the three-year-old seven furlongs handicap.

The well supported 6/4 favourite travelled nicely for Fran Berry to join the leaders heading into the last two furlongs. Mzuri proved a tenacious opponent but the J.P. McManus-owned daughter of Danehill Dancer always looked to be doing enough and got on top in the last 100 yards.

“The second horse put it up to her but she got a very good ride from Fran. She won well at Gowran last time and looks to be progressing and she’ll probably go for another handicap,” commented David Wachman.

Earlier Frozen Lake, who chased home Gussy Goose at Gowran, notched up a well-deserved victory in the seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. A runner-up in three of his four starts this year, the John Oxx representative broke alertly to show in front for Declan McDonogh.

Frozen Lake (11/4) was pushed hard by Zylan for the duration of the straight but he answered his rider’s every call to remain in front and cross the line with half a length to spare.

“He’s been running consistently and the only time he ran poorly this season was when a horse collided with him at Leopardstown,” remarked Oxx of the Barbara Keller-owned gelding. “He’s a tough, genuine, sound horse and seven furlongs or a mile is a good trip for him and he probably hasn’t fully matured yet.”

The nine-year-old Paddy The Celeb won his first race on the flat for over two years as he pounced late under Conor McGovern in the mile and a half handicap. The 9/1 chance had dropped to his lowest flat rating since September 2012 while he was also dropping in grade having contested a premier handicap on his last start.

In a well-grouped field Paddy The Celeb came through to head the front running Waydownsouth inside the distance and he crossed the line with half a length to spare.

“The handicapper has given him a chance and Conor was very cool on him. I’m delighted for the horse and his owner Paul McMahon,” stated Halford.

After showing promise in a Leopardstown maiden 11 days previously, the Joe Murphy-trained juvenile Fit For Function (11/2) got off the mark in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction.

Gary Carroll had the Captain Gerrard colt racing on the pace from the outset of this six-furlong contest and, entering the last furlong, Fit For Function started to master fellow pace setter Zebgrey.

The newcomer Lady Allegra came home well in the closing stages but was still three parts of a length adrift at the line. The winner did slip up shortly after the finish but happily he and Gary Carroll emerged unscathed.

“He’s a nice, genuine horse,” reflected Murphy of the Patricia Mullane-owned winner. “It wasn’t a great race but Gary felt that he just idled in front and we’ll look at going for a nursery next.”

As well as capturing the day’s feature Ger Lyons and Colin Keane were also on the mark with Trinity Force who took a drop back to sprinting in his stride in the six-furlong handicap.

The Sean Jones-owned four-year-old, who was having just the seventh start of his career, had never run over a trip this short and was equipped with first time blinkers for this assignment. At one point in the last furlong five of the six runners held every chance but 7/4 favourite was the strongest over the last 100 yards.

“He had a wind operation through the winter and, like Ardhoomey, we brought him back in trip to get his confidence back,” remarked Lyons. “He’s more of a seven furlong or a mile horse and he’ll go for more of the same before heading to the horses in training sale in October.”