THE ultra-reliable Yaxeni limbered up for a crack at one of the most valuable races in the calendar with a typically willing, smart and straight-forward success in the Listed Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes.

In her fourth season of racing, the Ger Lyons-trained five-year-old looks better than ever as evidenced by this commanding display on the soft ground that she loves and which yielded her second stakes success of the season.

The SBA Racing Limited-owned 2/1 favourite made all for Colin Keane and swept her rivals aside with some authority from the turn-in to finish four lengths ahead of the staying-on Azallya.

“She’s like a lion on that ground and as soon as Colin asked her to go she had them all under pressure and the race was over. She could run in the Cesarewitch next,” remarked the trainer’s brother, Shane.

“She can get very fresh and Martin Mooney, who rides her at home, has kept her very sweet and has done a masterful job with her, so fair play to him.”

A race which has proved a springboard great things for several Ballydoyle inmates may have played host to another quality Aidan O’Brien representative in Alexandroupolis who made a winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Footsteps

As he looked to follow in the footsteps of the top-flight O’Brien winners Sovereign and Kyprios, the grandson of Chelsea Rose impressed under Wayne Lordan.

After travelling notably well through the race, the 17/2 shot didn’t enjoy the clearest of runs at a vital stage, but this mattered little. He eased through between horses to lead inside the final furlong for a length-and-a-half success over his staying-on stablemate Espionage.

“He is a nice colt and Wayne gave him a lovely ride. It can be tricky here first time out but he was patient on him, found the gaps at the end and hit the line well,” remarked Chris Armstrong.

“He should have no problem stepping up to stakes company and will hopefully be a nice middle-distance horse for next year.”

Gritty winner

Gavin Cromwell has his team in great order and made it seven winners in less than three weeks as the Gary Carroll-ridden Mister Wilson ran out a game and gritty winner of the Donnellys Of Barna Rated Race.

A dual winner on soft ground towards the end of last season, this Darren Cahill-owned gelding had shown up well with an ease ground on several occasions and relished the conditions at hand.

The 5/1 favourite struck the front over a furlong out and after losing the lead to Comfort Line inside the distance, he fought back splendidly to regain the advantage late on and prevail by a head.

He could make a very useful jumper when his attentions are turned to that sphere.

AT a track where he has enjoyed such extraordinary success over the last five decades, Dermot Weld enjoyed another milestone evening at Ballybrit as Keep In Touch’s success in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden made it 500 winners at the track for the trainer.

The first leg of a double, which provided further evidence of the yard’s return to form ahead of a big weekend, the Moyglare Stud-owned Keep In Touch had shown plenty of promise in two starts in July. One of those came in a maiden on the Friday evening of the Festival when she finished a close third, and she looked a worthy 13/8 favourite under Chris Hayes.

The two-year-old daughter of her trainer’s high-class dual-purpose mare Unaccompanied looked on from second before getting on top with over a furlong to run and she kept on well to reach the line half a length ahead of the staying-on Lumiere Rock.

“She might have been a trifle unlucky here in July when the problem was she was drawn so wide. She is a nice filly who would appreciate better ground and we will look for blacktype now,” reported Weld.

The trainer then added to his haul when Sidiriya (9/1) returned from 11 months off to take the Sean Cleary Memorial Fillies Maiden over a mile and a half.

The patiently ridden Aga Khan-owned daughter of Nathaniel made good progress for Chris Hayes to hold every chance turning for home and was on top throughout the final furlong before getting home by a length and a half from the 81-rated River Rain.

“She did it nicely. I would hope for plenty improvement and I’d expect her to get blacktype later in the year. I’ll be encouraging connections to consider running her a four-year-old,” declared the trainer.

Neither of the Weld winners made the running, but up front was the place to be for most of the evening and among those to make all was Gonetomillgrove (14/1) in the 47-70 rated apprentice riders’ handicap over a mile and a half.

The Aidan Briody-owned four-year-old, who reached the frame in a maiden at this meeting last year and is trained by Jack Davison, was having her second start of the season and never saw another rival under an enterprising Luke McAteer to carry the day by two and a quarter lengths.

Notable first for Hourigan

IT was an evening to cherish for Laura Hourigan who registered her first success as a trainer when Pimstrel (9/1) secured the 47-70 rated handicap over seven furlongs. The Eoin O’Sullivan-owned six-year-old was returning from a break of nearly three months and turned in a fine effort to make all under Mark Enright, eventually getting home by half a length from Angel’s Trumpet.

“I have three or four Flat horses and am tipping away with them. It’s good and I’m enjoying it,” remarked the trainer who could now send her charge to Listowel.

“I know nothing else and it is great to have the place at home. I am in the bottom yard as we separate the flat horses. My brother Mark picked this filly out of a claimer at Laytown last year.”

Johnny Murtagh’s decision to switch to handicap company with Maristella after just two starts was rewarded as the Ballylinch Stud-owned daughter of New Bay bagged the 50-75 James P. Cunningham Electrical Handicap over a mile.

Attractive

This four-year-old had the misfortune to bump into Rosscarbery in a Dundalk maiden on her debut in April when she finished an honourable second and this in turn made her an attractive proposition off an initial mark of 73.

Ben Coen got the 4/1 favourite to the front approaching the straight but the pace setting Higher Kingdom fought on well and it was only inside the distance that Maristella moved on to prevail by two and a half lengths.

The lightly-raced winner can certainly progress further from here and this was her first outing for over months.