WAYNE Lordan kept the home fires burning at Leopardstown last Sunday with a fabulous four-timer for his boss Aidan O’Brien.

Epsom hope Los Angeles was the star of the show in the Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes when making a winning return to action in the Group 3 contest.

The Camelot colt went to post a 4/5 shot in the 10-furlong contest and ran out a workmanlike winner.

Lordan produced his mount to lead a furlong and a half from home and he was always just doing enough to secure a length victory over stablemate Euphoric.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said afterwards: “It was great to get him out.

“When he steps up again to a mile and a half he’ll improve and he’s now bang in the Derby picture. He’s very exciting.

“He only had the two runs under his belt at two, which came in quite quick succession.

“I’d say he’s still quite raw and he’ll come on mentally and physically. He’s got the pedigree. He’s by Camelot, where he gets the stamina.

“He’s a big horse but he’s a beautiful mover and he’s got the right mind.

“Camelot obviously went around there (Epsom) no problem and this horse has a lot of his good traits.”

It was a good start to the day for the Coolmore partners with Ballydoyle-trained colts claiming the first two maidens on the card.

Igor Stravinsky gained compensation for a narrow defeat on debut when running out a convincing winner of the Fitz Agriplant Maiden.

Lordan was soon in front on the No Nay Never colt and the 5/2 shot was too strong for his rivals in the straight as he posted a two-and-a-quarter length win over Apricot Ice.

“Wayne gave him a lovely ride from a tricky stall, drawn so wide,” said Armstrong.

“We felt he’d come forward a nice bit from his debut and we’ll take little steps. We’ll see whether he goes for a handicap or steps up into stakes company.”

Impressive

Highbury powered clear inside the final furlong to open his account in impressive fashion in the Captain Dara Fitzpatrick Memorial Maiden.

Lordan tracked his front-running stablemate Vice President before asking the 11/10 favourite to hit the front a furlong and a half from home.

The Galileo colt opened up in the closing stages to record a seven-and-a-half length win over Himalayan Heights, who just held the rallying Vice President by a nose for the runner-up spot.

Armstrong said: “He’s a horse that had shown a lot at the backend of last year and early in the spring and we just had to get him out.

“Aidan ran him in Cork and he ran a lovely race (when third) but he was just very green throughout.

“He stepped up a nice bit here, he’s still not fully there yet but he’s a horse that stays very well and he can gallop.

“He could come back here for something like the Nijinsky Stakes (June 6th), he could be an Ascot horse or an Irish Derby horse. They are all nice options to have.”

Lordan completed his haul in the concluding Breast Cancer Ireland Handicap when Ortelius justified favouritism.

The 11/8 shot missed the kick slightly but got to the lead after a furlong-and-a-half and asserted a furlong out to score by a length-and-three-quarters from Invention.

“It’s a nice way to finish off the day,” said Armstrong

“We thought off his mark it was worth coming here and having a go. He’s a typical Justify, he gallops well. We’ll probably look towards a premier handicap for him next.”

Keane shines on Wendla

COLIN Keane gave a masterclass from the front when scoring on Wendla in the Al Shira’aa Racing ‘Mutamakina’ Stakes.

The champion jockey was soon dictating at a slow pace on the Juddmonte filly and she quickened up well early in the straight.

Ger Lyons’ charge then stuck on gamely in the closing stages to hold Buttons for a three-quarters-of-a-length win in the Group 3 contest.

“She’s a lovely honest filly. The ground comes all the same to her, she’s handled heavy and she handled that,” said Lyons.

“I probably had her wrong and Colin had her right. I thought the way the race was run it wasn’t going to suit as it turned into a sprint, she’s pacier than I gave her credit for.”

When asked if she could tackle the Irish 1000 Guineas he added: “I wouldn’t think so but we’ll talk to Barry and Rory (Mahon) and better brains than me will decide that.

“She’s earned the right and the lads can decide that. If she ends up doing what Zarinsk did last year we’ll be over the moon.

“There are big races here at the end of the year that we can aim for, the mile race (Matron Stakes).”

Keane double

Keane went on to double up on Willie Mullins’ Lope De Lilas in the 10-furlong fillies’ maiden. The Lope De Vega filly came to lead a furlong and a half from home and the 9/2 shot really started to motor inside the final furlong as she pulled away to score by two and a quarter lengths.

The winner has an entry in the Irish Oaks and Mullins said: “She has a pedigree that she could be anything and we’ll just keep our options open. It’s easier to be in it rather than trying to get in at a late stage.

“We’d love to think that she’s good enough to be a contender in that.

“She was only getting going at the line, she went the whole way around to the mile and a quarter start again.

“She wouldn’t have had any ground like that at home and it was a learning day for her.”

Discovery back to best

BOLD Discovery rallied gamely in the closing stages to grab a Group 3 success in the Porsche Breast Cancer Amethyst Stakes.

The Jessica Harrington-trained gelding was prominent throughout in the mile event and hit the front early in the straight under Shane Foley.

Real Appeal looked to have come with a winning run to lead inside the final furlong but 5/1 shot Bold Discovery stuck his head out again close home to secure a half-length win.

“We’re delighted with that, he’s a horse that’s always promised an awful lot and we’ve held him in very high regard,” said assistant Kate Harrington.

“He had an allergy issue last year, it turned out he was allergic to grass.

“When he got his good to firm ground in the Curragh (last year) he was very good. We went hunting a bit afterwards with him but we never got our ground.

“Fair play to Marc (Chan) and Jamie McCalmont as they said ‘why don’t we geld him?’ and we actually did a kissing spine operation on him as well.

“He was only just ready to start there today and I think we should have a really exciting season ahead with him.

“We’ll go to Royal Ascot next with him for the Wolverton Stakes. I wasn’t too bothered if we did finish second today as then he wouldn’t have had a penalty for Ascot but now he will!”

Harrington and Foley went on to secure a double with the regally-bred Saturn in the 10-furlong handicap on the card.

The son of Galileo and Alpha Centauri emerged on top after a tight photo-finish. He fought it out with Ethical Diamond from the furlong pole and only a nose separated the pair at the line.

Kate Harrington said of the 9/4 favourite, owned by the Niarchos Family: “We’re delighted with that. He did things really nicely there and that’s his minimum trip.

“We’ll step him up to a mile and a half and hopefully he can keep progressing.”