DIEGO Velazquez negotiated a wide route to return to winning form in the featured Meld Stakes.

Disappointing in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, the son of Frankel was down in grade and trip. Sent off the 8/11 favourite in the hands of Ryan Moore, he tracked the leaders and stayed out from the poached ground near the rail. In front over a furlong out and racing ever wider in the straight, he firmly stamped his authority to come home a seven-length winner over Tarawa.

“We felt very much after Ascot that he’s not a mile-and-a-half horse,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien.

“He’s made like a miler so he’s probably an eight, nine or ten furlong horse. He loved the ground.We ran him back quick because we wanted to know where to go with him in the autumn.

“He could be a Cox Plate horse and we’ll see what we do in between with him. He’s definitely not short of pace.”

Doubled up

O’Brien, Moore and the Coolmore partners doubled up with Vice President in the Lyra At Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Maiden. Backed to the exclusion of everything else, the Galileo colt was sent off at odds of 1/5 and led approaching the straight to beat Mick Collins by two and a half lengths.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “His form was in the book. The trip was a minimum, probably his best run was against Highbury here the first day over a mile and a half.

“He’ll be able to step back up to a mile and a half no problem and we’ll look for a handicap and see how he progresses.”

AFTER two creditable runs at the Curragh, And So To Bed (11/2) got off the mark at the third time of asking in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden.

The daughter of Kodiac came from mid-division to lead close home under Dylan Browne McMonagle and accounted for Rebel Diamond by a length and a quarter.

Joseph O’Brien, who trains the winner for Cunningham Thoroughbreds, Thomas P O’Brien and V Zhdanov, said: “I think the six and a half (furlongs) suited her and I think she enjoyed going around the turn. We’ll probably stick to turning with her and maybe going seven rather than back to six.

“She looks like a filly that will be heading for blacktype races.”

Landed the odds

After her fast-finishing debut second at Gowran Park, Va Va Vroom was sent off 1/2 favourite for the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden and landed the odds with the minimum of fuss under Shane Foley

Always prominent, Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum’s daughter of Bated Breath led over a furlong out and was ridden out to beat Broski by three and a quarter lengths.

“She did it in good style which was great and she’s a lovely filly,” said trainer Jessica Harrington.

“We’ve got some nice entries, she’s in the Debutante and has an entry in France. She’s also got a Moyglare entry as well. Stepping up to a mile will be no problem to her.”

Weld’s ‘smart filly’

Swelter (12/1) looked another potentially smart filly for Dermot Weld when making an impressive winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

The daughter of Kingman, owned by Juddmonte, is from the family of Midday and came from off the pace to beat Valencia by a length and three-quarters.

“She’s a gorgeous filly and has always shown ability,” said Weld. “I entered her in the Moyglare and the Debutante so it’s not a surprise at all that she won here.

“She’s a big filly so I’m looking more at next year with her. Please God she can make into a Guineas filly, that’s how high I rate her.”

Cosy winner

Enchanted Garden (16/1) overcame a wide draw to run out a cosy winner of the Aer Lingus College Football Apprentice Handicap.

Jack Cleary produced the daughter of Calyx with a strong run to lead over a furlong from home and she had two and three-quarter lengths to spare over Imperial Dream.

“I know she’s a good filly but I just thought coming out of (stall) 17 over seven furlongs here was an impossible task,” said Tony Mullins who trains the winner for his partner Olive Walsh

“She might go to Galway on the Monday night for the three-year-old only handicap over seven furlongs.”

LONGBOURN (14/1) registered his fourth career victory when landing the Dublin To Bahrain Handicap under James Ryan,

The consistent Mukhadram gelding, owned by Amanda Torrens, hit the front under two furlongs out and proved more resolute than runner-up Old Faithful who lugged in behind the half-length winner in the closing stages.

“He’s rated 94 and I thought he was fairly capped at that,” said trainer Ross O’Sullivan.

“Shane Foley was supposed to ride him but in fairness he said that we needed to claim off him and the 5lb was probably the key. He needed every bit of it just to help him.

“He’ll probably go back to the race he won at Dundalk last year, the Red God.”

Followed up

Cloud Seeker (7/2) followed up on last month’s breakthrough win at Limerick when taking the BoyleSports Acca Rewards Handicap.

The Masar gelding was ridden to lead a furlong out by Andrew Slattery and held on well to beat Hasten Slowly by a neck.

Andy Slattery was saddling Killarney bumper winner Not Now Darling and the trainer’s brother Brian said: “He was always doing enough, I don’t think they were ever going to pass him.

“The owner Pat Garvey is very local to the track, unfortunately he’s not here tonight as he’s in Surrey visiting his daughter.

“There is the three-year-old handicap in Galway but I don’t know whether he’d go as it’s only 10 days away”