GER Lyons and Colin Keane won the opening two races at the Curragh on Sunday afternoon, with two promising Juddmonte-owned fillies.

Red Letter made all under Keane to easily justify 8/11 favouritism in the Sycamore Lodge Irish EBF Fillies Maiden. Quickening clear from two furlongs out, the daughter of Frankel came home four and a quarter lengths in front.

“It was no more than you probably expected from her after seeing her on debut the first day,” said Ger Lyons. “She stepped forward nicely and you’d expect her to win her maiden that way, so we’re delighted with her. We’ll see how she comes out of it before making any plans.

“I don’t think she’s a two-year-old and I think it’s all about next year with her. We’ll let her tell me what we do with her, whether we bring her back. I’ll tell Barry (Mahon) what I’m seeing at home and discuss it with the family about whether we come back for the Moyglare or something like that.”

Brazen Babouche

Babouche brought up the brace for Lyons and Keane in the following Group 3 Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes. Prominent throughout, the 13/8 favourite had to battle close home to get the better of Camille Pissarro by half a length.

“She’s a filly we’ve always liked and has a temperament to die for,” said Lyons. “It’s okay winning in Cork like we did but we learned nothing because she did it all on her own, with the way the race was run. Since the run in Cork she’s just been so switched off at home.

“We’ll see how she comes out of it but at the minute we’re going to take on the boys in the Phoenix Stakes. She doesn’t show a whole pile at home since her run. Before her run we knew she was special but since then she shows you nothing.

“I’ve been blessed since Juddmonte came into the yard, we’re always finding one. Last year was the ordinary year but even her sister (Zarinsk) pulled us out of the hole by winning a Group 2.”

On trip for the winner he added: “Her sister was a seven/miler filly and I can see her doing that. She’s going to be a Guineas filly, I’ll be training her for the Guineas.”

THE feature race on the afternoon, the Group 2 Romanised Minstrel Stakes, went for export with Karl Burke and Sam James winning with Poet Master.

Sent off 7/2, the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned gelding went clear inside the final furlong for a three-and-three-quarter-length success. Winning jockey Sam James said: “Karl and I know that he just didn’t fire the last day in Haydock, I’m not sure why. He was impressive at Newmarket when he won the time before that and beat a good horse of David O’Meara’s (Misty Grey).

“It was a great training performance to get him back, freshen him up and bring him all the way over here for what looked like a competitive Group 2. They went a lovely gallop and it suited me perfectly, I was able to get him switched off in behind Seamie. I got to the front maybe sooner then ideal but I knew all he would do is keep galloping all the way to the line. He could even be a better horse next year.”

James was formerly apprenticed to Kevin Prendergast on the Curragh and added: “I’ve really enjoyed coming back for the last two days. I heard Kevin is not the best at the minute and everyone’s thoughts are with him as well in hospital.”

Dress for success

Royal Dress was another UK winner on the card, taking the Group 3 Al Shira’aa Racing Meadow Court Stakes for James Tate. The Saeed Manana- owned 16/1 chance kept on best inside the last 200 yards to win by two and three-quarter lengths.

Winning jockey Ben Coen said: “In Ascot the ground was just too quick and it was a messy kind of a race. They quickened up at the bottom of the straight and she just got tapped for toe. She wasn’t beaten that far and when things work out for her, she’s a talented filly.

“I couldn’t really go any quicker early on so there was no fear of her settling today. To be fair she hit a flat spot turning in and I thought she quickened up well then from the two to the one and put the race to bed.”

“She’s probably bred to want a mile and a half but she had that sort of temperament that she’s been running over trips too short for her.”

Impressive margin

The John Feane-trained Vera’s Secret made all under Nathan Crosse to easily win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap. Owned by Jim Browne, the 12/1 chance stretched clear inside the last for an impressive six-and-a-half-length success.

“She was good last year. She was unlucky the first day and then she did things wrong afterwards in her races,” said Feane. “I ran her over shorter here, trying to get her to relax, and she was too keen that day. Then it was bottomless in Gowran and she ran with the choke out.

“Today I think they all wanted to move to the middle and it suited her as she got a freebie and got to prick her ears. We like her a lot, I’ve always liked her, and it’s good that she did things properly today.”

EDDIE and Patrick Harty won the Newbridge Silverware Sprint Handicap with Mary Shoelaces. Despite being 3lb out of the weights, the 12/1 chance was always prominent under Wayne Hassett before staying on best for a half-length win in the colours of Mrs Eddie Harty.

Her husband later said: “You can see that she’s very small. She’s always had a lot of speed and that’s delightful to get. I said ‘Wayne if she breaks well just go straight on her’ because she’s not slow and she’s not big. Getting in a battle, a big lad against a small lad nine times out of ten a big lad will win.

“It was lovely to see, she is quick. She’ll go up for that, rightly so, but won’t go up an awful lot. It would be nice to try and find something back here again. As a two-year-old she just wanted to go flat out from the get-go. I thought she’d won at Dundalk with Colin (Keane) one day in the spring but she just got chinned on the line.

“She’s breaking now, getting into a stride and then just dropping it and doing the right things. She could move on from here because she’s quick enough to do it.”

Made all

Ryan Moore made all on evens favourite Ephesus to win the concluding Fleetwood Paints Irish EBF Maiden. Strongly pressed by Rosso inside the final furlong, the Tabor/Smith/Magnier/Westerberg- owned colt found plenty to win by one and a half lengths.

Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “I’m delighted with him. He’s a horse that stays very well and he’ll stay further than a mile and a half, he’s genuine. We’ll look for a staying handicap, he’ll have no problem going a mile and six.”

Megan O’Leary won the Corinthian Challenge Charity Race Series on evens favourite Ndaawi. Trained by Gordon Elliott, the Easyfix-owned gelding went clear inside the final furlong for an easy four-and-three-quarter-length success.