FEW connections would have been more relieved to see Wednesday’s card at Leopardstown get the green light after a raceday morning inspection than the team behind Goldana, who flourished in her favoured testing conditions when landing the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes.

Joseph O’Brien already eked out a Group 3 win from the Galileo Gold mare last season in the Gladness Stakes, and a step back up in class now looks on the cards for the Sights On Gold Partnership-owned five-year-old.

Sent off the 4/9 favourite, Goldana had to show plenty of heart under Dylan Browne McMonagle to see off Power Under Me by half a length in a sustained battle, with Lord Massusus a further half length back in third.

O’Brien said: “I’m delighted to get her head in front and she’s beaten two very good geldings, she loves those soft conditions. She gave away a lot of weight on her first run of the year [when third in the Group 3 Park Express Stakes at the Curragh], she got a little bit tired, but probably bumped into two smart fillies in tough conditions and they handled it as well as she did.

“She’s particularly effective on soft ground and wherever she goes she’ll be kept on ground that is on the easier side. She’s a Group 3 and listed winner and it would be great if we could get her into Group 2s. There is a nice one on Guineas weekend but obviously we’ll be guided by conditions.”

Doubling up

O’Brien, Browne McMonagle and Galileo Gold notched a double on the Student Raceday card, getting off the mark with impressive 10-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden winner Galileo Dame.

It was a highly pleasing finishing effort from the well-supported 13/8 shot, who stayed on strongly to beat a pair of well-bred Galileo fillies, trained by Aidan O’Brien with three and a half lengths to spare.

“I was very pleased,” said the winning trainer.

“I suppose the obvious thing now is to go into an Oaks trial of some sort. She’s owned by a great group of lads; the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate, Sean O’Driscoll and Brian McKieran. It’s exciting for them to have a real smart filly.”

OFFALY-based trainer John Harney enjoyed a day to remember when saddling his first winner in the SHEIN Cup Handicap through Mr Rango, a comfortable three-and-a-half-length winner under Shane Foley.

Twice a winner when trained by Ross O’Sullivan, the 100/30 shot - sporting the John Harney and Paul Brophy colours - confirmed his liking for testing ground in seeing off 3/1 favourite Global Energy over this 10-furlong trip.

“We weren’t sure today whether he was spot on for a mile and two furlongs but Shane gave him a lovely ride and he stuck at it well,” said the winning trainer.

“I’m based in Rhode in Co Offaly. We’ve a farm there and we put in a woodchip gallop that looks to be going well for us. I spent a few years in England, I was assistant trainer to Declan Carroll. I was four years in Tally-Ho and learned a lot there - I learned how to work! I was with Jim McCartan and did breeze-ups there.

“My partner, Phidelma O’Neill, convinced me to get out the licence, she had the confidence in me and said I could do it, thankfully I showed her that we can train a winner.”

Foley brace

Mr Rango was the first leg of a quickfire double for Foley, who struck in the 1888 Restaurant Maiden over a mile when Norwalk Havoc rewarded strong and late support at 10/1 (from 25/1 in the ring).

Trained by Jessica Harrington, who was opening her account for 2024 in Ireland, the Flaxman Stables homebred found generously for pressure in running out a two-and-three-quarter-length winner over 4/6 favourite Gallantly.

Harrington said: “He didn’t behave very well at the Curragh last year and when he came back from there he got castrated. It seems to have done the job.

“We always thought he had ability but he wasn’t giving it to us. He stayed on great today. We’ll try to find a winners’ of one race for him now and take it from there.”

Dandy delivers

Testing ground was no problem to Manhattan Dandy either in the seven-furlong Aparto Handicap, winning decisively for Thomas Coyle, James Ryan and the Little Acorns Syndicate.

This was a third career success for the 9/1 shot, who picked up well with the benefit of two previous runs this spring behind him.

“He loves the ground and I was actually very confident coming today,” said Coyle.

“He probably needed it the last day, he’s actually a very hard horse to get fit. It’s great for a little yard like ours to have a horse like him, he’s become very consistent for us and hopefully he can win again for the boys during the summer.”

AIDAN O’Brien came out on top in the Aparto Maiden over a mile and a quarter but not necessarily with the runner expected by the market as The Equator (7/2) upstaged 5/6 favourite Ortelius to book his ticket to a classic trial under Wayne Lordan.

Bred to be high class as a colt by Galileo out of the dual Group 1-winning sprinter Quiet Reflection, the Coolmore homebred had shown promise when fourth on debut at this venue last July and looks an improved three-year-old on the evidence of this three-and-a-quarter-length strike.

O’Brien said: “He’s a lovely, big, honest horse. He handles an ease in the ground but will obviously handle it much better as well, he stays well. Wayne was very happy with him and said he went to the line very strongly.

“He could go for a trial at Lingfield or somewhere like that; he’ll probably love going a mile and a half and I’d say next time that’s what we will do.”

Saffronandblue on target

Owners Anthony Vaughan and Bernard Carroll would have expected to have their sights trained on Aintree this week with Desertmore House having been aimed at the Grand National, yet they still managed to get in on the act at Leopardstown with clearcut winner Saffronandblue (7/1) in the Leopardstown Golf And Driving Range Handicap. Unfortunately for connections, the Kerry National winner did not manage to sneak in at the bottom of the Aintree weights on Thursday.

Trained by Martin Brassil and ridden by Ronan Whelan, Saffronandblue was making just his sixth career start and proved ahead of the handicapper off his mark of 49.

“It’s a pleasant surprise, we were just hoping he’d run a nice race,” said Brassil.

“I thought he had grown up a bit mentally over the winter from his previous run at Gowran [when sixth in October]. I was looking forward to seeing how he’d run but couldn’t honestly say I thought he’d win.”

Desert delight

Brassil and Whelan looked to have stronger claims earlier on the card in the SPIN1038 Handicap with odds-on favourite Merisi Diamond but Noel Meade and Colin Keane came up trumps with 14/1 shot Desert Haven in a length-and-a-half victory.

A seven-furlong maiden winner at Fairyhouse last summer, he struck here in the colours of the Knockmore Syndicate.

“He’s obviously in different ownership to last year; he was one of Paul Hunt’s horses and when he let him go at the end of the season, I bought him back myself,” said Meade.

“We did a little job on his wind, which helped I’d say. It’s great because the owners had Knockmore Prince who nearly broke our hearts last year. He goes on any ground and it’s great to start with a win for them.”