AMERICAN Sonja was all the rage for the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap and the daughter of Tasleet, trained by Joseph O’Brien for Mark Dobbin, could now have bigger targets ahead after justifying the confidence in some style.

Dylan Browne McMonagle’s mount made headway between horses early in the straight and the 11/8 favourite was just pushed out to beat All Lies Ahead by a comfortable three and a quarter lengths.

O’Brien’s assistant Brendan Powell was impressed saying: “That was a good performance and they went a decent gallop. She settles well and you can put her where you like. This time of the year it is hard against the older horses and she is definitely a stakes filly.

“She was tall last year but has filled out and is a bigger, stronger filly.”

American Sonja holds entries in the Group 3 Athasi Stakes and the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas.

Joe Murphy and Gary Carroll teamed up to take the opening race here for the second successive day as Grey Leader (4/1) landed the Gowran Park Golf Club Maiden.

The grey son of El Kabeir got on top inside the final furlong to beat the always prominent Feach Amach by a length and a half.

“He’s a very genuine horse and I’d say there is loads of improvement within a year,” said Murphy who trains the gelding for Tony Auld. “The ground is fine for him as long as there are not extremes, he wouldn’t want it firm,”

JESSICA Harrington made it three winners at the Co Kilkenny venue in the space of just 24 hours when saddling a double on the card with Snowcapped and Striking.

Snowcapped, 20/1 overnight and sent off at 9/1, was switched right by Nathan Crosse under two furlongs out in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden and showed a great attitude on the far rail getting up close home to pip Collage by a head.

“She is out of Snow Pixie who is a sister of Snow Fairy,” said Harrington of the Anamoine homebred daughter of Churchill. “I’m not sure where we will go but she liked that cut in the ground and was brave up the inside.”

Striking (5/4) was a well-backed favourite in the @GowranPark1 Handicap and the Joe O’Flaherty-owned gelding confirmed the promise of a good recent outing over hurdles when taking command from over a furlong out to beat Elle Dorado Rock by an easy length and a half.

“He’d a good run in Fairyhouse and it’s the first time we really had him fit,” said the Moone trainer. “He’s had problems with his sinus and in the last month he’s really turned a corner. He’ll mix hurdles with the flat.

“Shane said he was so keen that he thought he would fall in a hole and he got to the furlong pole and he took off. He could go up to two miles on the flat.”

Welcome winner

Rio Largo provided owner/trainer/breeder Luke Comer with a welcome change of fortune when taking the Dining Packages At Gowran Park Handicap in decisive fashion.

The 9/1 chance stretched right away inside the final furlong to beat Elmo Lincoln by three and a quarter lengths and Comer’s assistant Jim Gorman commented: “After all the seconds and placed horses we’ve had it’s a relief rather than a joy.

“He didn’t get the easiest of runs in Bellewstown and got bumped a couple of times. He’s a very genuine, tough horse.”

BRAVE Troop, twice a winner over 10 furlongs at Navan, took the drop down to seven furlongs in his stride when running out a facile six-length winner of the Thomastown Handicap under Luke McAteer.

“Coming here I thought seven might be a bit sharp but he coped with it well,” said locally based Barry Fitzgerald, who trains the 5/2 favourite for Sarah Corcoran. “He’s improving all the time and a cut in the ground is a help. We’ll see what the handicapper does and decide where we go with him then.”

Tea Olive, no match for Duke Of Leggagh at Navan last month, reversed places with that rival in the Irish Injured Jockeys Handicap but only just as Colin Keane got her up on the line to score by a nose.

The 5/1 chance races in the colours of Eamon and Sheena McElroy who own the daughter of Mukhadram in partnership with Linda Shanahan

“I thought she would win but I didn’t think it would be that close. I’d say she needed the run in Navan and she was 10lb better off today. In fairness to the other horse he’s run well again,” said trainer Noel Meade.

“I think she’s a nice filly and hopefully she will go on and win again. She will go for something similar and maybe over a bit further.”