ATLANTIC Coast (2/1) set the standard going into the Group 3 Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown last Saturday, but he needed every single yard of the seven-furlong trip to peg back Bright Stripes, the pair of them coming five and a half lengths clear of the favourite Military in third.

This was a creditable performance from the Joseph O’Brien-trained colt, who won in spite of the heavy ground conditions according to his rider Declan McDonogh, and can be viewed as a legitimate classic contender next season. The son of Kodiac was another stakes winner for his owner Al Shira’aa Farms, who have had a fine season, mostly through the exploits of Group 2 winners Vespertilio and Jannah Rose, trained in France.

“I was worried about the ground and I thought he was spinning a bit for the first furlong.” McDonogh reported. “I had planned to just sit second and third but then I was happy to let him come back and get comfortable and follow Andy Oliver’s horse, knowing he’d like the ground and he could lead me into the race.

Will to win

“He took a while to wear him down. He was never really enjoying the conditions today but his will to win was good. I think you’ll see this horse in a better light on good to soft summer ground. I thought, turning in, I’d win easy, but he was pretty much hating the conditions.

“Mentally he is still tuning into it, halfway in the run he is still daydreaming. It’s probably a good thing because he might get a bit of distance next year. He might get 10 furlongs next year but I think he will be best over a stiff mile, on good to soft ground.”

Guildenstern (18/5) made it third time lucky to get off the mark for Donnacha O’Brien and Gavin Ryan in the seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

The Leonard Green-owned colt had finished mid-division in the Goffs Million but looked better here, seeing out the trip strongly to get the better of South Pole and Master Of The Hunt.

“He had a very good run first time out (four-length second to Diego Velazquez) and I think he was on the wrong part of the track for the Million,” said Donnacha O’Brien. “It’s nice to get a win for him now and we’ll put him away for the winter.”

AIDAN O’Brien was out of luck with his runners at British Champions Day but he fared much better closer to home with a pair of colts who could emerge as top staying prospects next season.

Grosvenor Square (10/11 favourite) came first, powering clear of stablemate Cambridge in the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes under Seamie Heffernan. This was his third start, having previously finished third to Deepone in the Beresford, and, while he was facing mostly maiden winners, it was hard not to be impressed, with 33/1 quotes for the Derby looking a little on the generous side if anything.

“He ran a good race in the Beresford,” said stable representative Chris Armstrong. “He is a horse with a very good attitude, handles an ease in the ground but will go on better ground.

“He’ll likely come back here next year for the classic trials. He’s a typical Derby type, has a very good attitude, a typical Galileo and is one to look forward to - he will come on physically and mentally and is one to make the winter that bit shorter.”

Later Ocean Of Dreams (9/2) produced a very taking performance to win on debut in the one-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Heffernan asked the son of Fastnet Rock to make ground heading into the straight but the pair still trailed Jim Bolger’s Fine Print at the furlong marker, after which they eye-catchingly moved all of six lengths clear of the field, with an impressive 13.73 closing sectional.

“Seamus spoke very favourably of him,” Armstrong said. “He said once he got him straightened up and balanced, he let down very strongly. He has got everything, he has the pedigree, the attitude and the physical. We’ll probably bring him back for a classic trial next year and he’s one to look forward to.”

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Nursery Handicap looked a competitive five-runner heat beforehand but it featured a very comfortable winner in Jim Bolger’s Sli Na Ghealai (5/2 joint-favourite).

The Vocalised filly was a good winner at Down Royal previously and, on distinctly different ground conditions, she improved again here, coming from off the pace to pull four and a quarter lengths clear of joint-favourite Basilah Bear.

“She’s hardy and handles the ground,” Bolger said. “I had a couple in it and I was going to run another one but Rory said to run her. She ran well on soft ground in Tipperary.”

DERMOT Weld has won maidens on this card with subsequent stakes winners in the past and he unleashed two potentially very smart fillies in Azada (4/1) and Elizabeth Jane (16/1).

The Aga Khan-owned Azada, a daughter of Siyouni and half-sister to five-time Group 1 winner in Australia The Autumn Sun, came from well off the place to comfortably run down her main market rivals Harbour Gem and Fleur De Chine in the opening seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

“I was expecting her to run well, I wasn’t expecting her to win like that,” said Kris Weld. “Usually horses who have good placed experience have a big advantage when the ground is that bad.

“She is a beautifully bred filly. To come from where she did, in that kind of ground, and win the way she did, you’d have to be impressed. She is a big immature filly and I’d like to think there will be a lot of improvement in her. There is plenty to look forward to.”

Elizabeth Jane’s performance to win the one-mile fillies’ maiden was a bit more explosive. Ridden by Donagh O’Connor, she shot through a gap in the straight to win by four lengths from the previously twice runner-up Andromeda.

The Moyglare Stud-owned filly is a daughter of Dubawi out of Sapphire, a Group 2 winner for the owner and trainer, which makes her a half-sister to blacktype performers Kiss For A Jewel and Federica Sophia.

“When I turned in I gave her a squeeze and she came into my hands instantly and she cut right through them,” said O’Connor. “I probably got there a little bit too early in the end, but I just like the way that when she got to the front, she had a good idle but she was still kicking away which is always a good sign.

“She is very very well bred. You’d like to think going a mile and a half next year, she’d be a lovely filly going forward.”