OCEAN Quest once again proved she is a sprinting filly very much to be reckoned with after a comprehensive success in the feature Group 3 Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Ballyogan Stakes over six furlongs at Naas on Sunday.

The Jessica Harrington-trained three-year-old, running for the first time since finishing fourth to Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup, was prominent on the far side group as the field split into two. Her advantage over that group began to widen inside the two-furlong marker, and soon it was evident she was well in control, with Aussie Girl coming through on the near side to take second, but nearly four lengths adrift.

“She hasn’t run since Ascot, we gave her time,” Harrington said of the Jeanette Kirkland and Geraldine Ryan-owned filly. “We know she likes a bit of give in the ground and that’s why we put away after Ascot. I think she’ll go on anything actually and she’s a very classy filly.

“Ascot in October is the main target and she’s in at Haydock in the Group 1 sprint there. We didn’t put her in on Irish Champions Weekend because it’s five furlongs but apparently she gets a free entry now. If it came up heavy maybe.”

Earlier Harrington took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden with the Niarchos Family-owned filly Matter Of Fact, who was scoring at the second attempt.

It didn’t look likely for her until the final furlong but it was here she really got going for Nathan Crosse, coming through with Sweetest, and holding that rival by three quarters of a length.

“That was nice. She ran in May and has grown an awful lot since then,” said Harrington.

“Nathan said when she was in behind she was behind the bridle, whether it was the kickback or what. It wasn’t until he pulled her out that she absolutely flew up the hill.

“She did it well. She was still very green and she’ll have learned a lot, which is great.”

McTenett was another to get off the mark at the second time of asking when he took the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden over six furlongs.

The Joseph O’Brien-owned colt finished fourth at Sligo on his debut but looked a different proposition here under Dylan Brown McMonagle, securing the race quickly with a smart turn of foot before the one-furlong pole, and eventually scoring by two lengths from Byzantine Empress.

Owned by Neil Sands’ Bronsan Racing, the son of Starspangledbanner could go for a winners’ race at Roscommon next.

IT was a fine day for Meath jockey Adam Caffrey, who secured a double on the card and was instrumental for both successes.

His brace was completed on Oriole in the Hartes Group Apprentice Handicap, giving fellow Meath man Ian Donoghue his second winner in a week.

Caffrey dropped the four-year-old filly into midfield while racing off a strong pace in the extended 10-furlong race. The pair took it up just before the final furlong and stayed on strongly to see off a strong challenge from Caulinacourt.

“A mile-and-two is her minimum and we can definitely step her up in trip,” Donoghue said of the In For The Crack Syndicate-owned filly. “He got there plenty soon on her but it just fell asunder in front of him and she was always doing enough to hold on.

“Adam is a good young lad, he lives beside us so there will be a party in Clonalvy tonight anyway.”

Earlier Caffrey scored on Distillate for his boss Ado McGuinness in the six-furlong Starman At Tally-Ho Handicap.

The Mark Devlin, Nigel O’Hare and Philip Smith-owned filly raced prominently on the far side, responded gamely to Caffrey’s urges in the closing stages and just about held off the very late challenge from favourite Universally.

“That’s her first time taking on the older horse, I like to try and keep the three-year-olds to their own company for as long as I can,” said McGuinness. “She’s improving all the time and she ran a cracker at Cork the last day in the muck. Adam was very good on her. She’ll improve again and hopefully the handicapper won’t be too hard on her. She’s a real fun filly.”

NATALIA Lupini is having a fine season and she could well have a very good filly on her hands in Kitty Rose, who proved too strong for favourite Tannola in the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden over seven furlongs.

The daughter of Invincible Army is co-owned by Nigel O’Hare, Gary Devlin and the Kabin Racing Syndicate and she always looked to be travelling smoothly here for Seamie Heffernan. She led at the furlong pole and Tannola had no answer to her, with the pair of them in turn coming clear.

The trainer’s partner Craig Bryson said: “We were hoping for a nice run but you never know first time out. She’s a filly that we’ve liked a lot at home, she did it well and she’ll progress plenty. She’s big and she’s a nice filly.

“She likes to go forward, she likes to gallop and I’d imagine as you step her up in trip she’ll be better. She’s one to look forward to.

“I’ll talk to the lads but we might look at the Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown, that might suit her. If she comes out of it well that’s probably the race to go for.”

Another horse with Irish Champions Festival hopes is Johnny Murtagh’s Take Heart who took the closing 10-furlong TRM Speedxcell Multi Vitamin And Mineral Tonic Handicap under Ben Coen.

Owned by Team Valor International and Steven Rocco, the three-year-old gelding raced in third throughout, moved up stylishly in the straight before staying on strongly once Coen got him to the lead, winning by a length and three quarters from Golden Spangle.

“Ben doesn’t do 8-10 very often but he was keen to ride him,” said Murtagh. “He’s one of those big slow developers and I think he’ll make up into a premier handicap horse the way he is going. He’s only had a few runs so he should keep improving.

“I put him in the big mile-and-a-quarter handicap on Champions Weekend, the Northfields. Whether it’s too early for him or not, I’m not sure and we’ll see what Barry Irwin wants to do.”