IT’S a game of yards. Declan McDonogh felt that his kick for home on Visualisation (12/1) came 100 yards too early when he was collared by Point Lonsdale in the Group 3 Alleged Stakes, and a simple correction may well have proved the difference as the pair took the Group 2 Coolmore Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh on Monday.

Harold John Millar’s five-year-old made all again and was a comfortable length-and-a-half winner at the line from last year’s winner Layfayette, headlining a big double for Joseph O’Brien.

In fairness, Visualisation probably met a very good rival in Point Lonsdale last time, with the pair of them finishing well clear, and with the returning Luxembourg failing to get anywhere near the level of his form from last season, he took full advantage.

“Declan said that he felt his kick for home lasted him until 100 yards from the line in the Alleged and that he was just going to wait an extra 100 yards today,” O’Brien said. “It got him there. It was all up to Dec, it was a fantastic ride.

“This has been a good horse for a while but soft ground is his thing. He’s in really good shape this season. He’s not in the Tattersalls Gold Cup but we’ll see about that. Wherever he goes, the ground will have to have soft in the description.”

On Luxembourg, who finished fifth, Aidan O’Brien said: “It was his first run of the year and he was a bit rusty.

“The plan was to come here, then come back for the Tattersalls Gold Cup and that is still what we are going to do. He ran a lovely race, he’ll come on plenty for it and being a four-year-old colt first time out, there’s always going to be a lot of improvement.”

Honey

Earlier Honey Girl (4/1) further enhanced Joseph O’Brien’s already strong team of older fillies with an impressive win in the Listed Coolmore Stud Circus Maximus Irish EBF Athasi Stakes.

Settled into fourth by Dylan Browne McMonagle, the daughter of Mayson made her challenge down the centre of the track and once getting by Star Girls Aalmal, she saw her race out well to win by three and a half lengths from stablemate Agartha.

Honey Girl was bought out of Henry de Bromhead’s yard by Australian owner Tim Porter. She failed to win a race last season but earned a rating of 102 following a number of strong performances in pattern company. O’Brien does particularly well with older fillies and may well have found the key to her now.

“I thought she was impressive,” the trainer said. “It’s really nice to see her put two good runs together. She has been tricky in the stalls but Dylan gets a nice tune out of her. She handles soft ground well and we’ll probably keep that in mind for her for the rest of the season.

“Her owners are going to Royal Ascot so there is a chance she could turn up there but it might be that she is at her best in the spring and autumn when there is some juice in the ground.”

Snowcapped (7/2) made it two for two this season when staying on strongly to take Treacy Group Irish EBF Fillies Handicap over seven furlongs.

Jessica Harrington’s filly had won her maiden over a mile at Gowran last month but a strongly run race played right into her hands here as she came through for Shane Foley inside the final furlong for a comprehensive win.

Out of a half sister to Snow Fairy, the Anamoine Limited-owned filly was winning off a mark of 75 here, but did so impressively, and she has lots of scope now, with her trainer reporting she may even want a mile and a quarter in time.

PADDINGTON (5/6f) made it two from two for his classic season and enhanced his reputation further in the Listed Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Irish EBF Tetrarch Stakes with a comfortable success over stablemate Drumroll.

Seamie Heffernan always travelled strongly on the son of Siyouni, making his first start over a mile and the pair kept on comfortably for a length-and-half-win.

With main market rival Bold Discovery disappointing, the form of this contest can be questioned, but Paddington looks a real professional and will be worth considering in whatever classic he lines up in. He was cut into a general 7/1 for the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas).

“Delighted with him,” said Aidan O’Brien. “He won his handicap at Naas over seven furlongs and this was his first start over a mile, and he might even go further. “He’d have an option of going to the French Guineas or Irish Guineas and he could end up being a French Derby horse after that.”

First Flier

The Listed Gain First Flier Stakes had cut up beforehand through the omissions of maiden winners Noche Magica and Bucanero Fuerte but it was further depleted through the late withdrawal of Sturlasson following a dangerous incident in the stalls, with horse and jockey Declan McDonogh lucky to escape injury.

With that in mind, the race can be described as a below par renewal for now, and it featured a debutant one-two, with Aidan O’Brien’s His Majesty (5/2) and Seamie Heffernan just getting on top of Adrian Murray’s Valiant Force late in the final furlong.

“Seamus said that his horse has loads of speed but he was relaxed and once he clicked, he found plenty,” O’Brien said. “He’s like a big four-year-old, a big mature horse.

“You’d love to get another run into him before Ascot. It’s always a big advantage to have that before Ascot but there aren’t that many races.”

The opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden featured an impressive debut from Donnacha O’Brien’s Do It With Style (3/1).

The daughter of Ten Sovereigns raced greenly early and she was still second last at the three furlong marker, but Gavin Ryan never panicked and she came through steadily inside the final furlong to comfortably claim Kieran Cotter’s Ocean Baroque.

“I was a little bit worried about the ground because she’ll be better on better ground so it was nice to see her do that,” O’Brien said of the Leonard Green-owned filly. “She was a bit green early as well, so she did very well to pick up the way she did.

“I’ll speak to the owners but the Albany will definitely be an option now.”

TOMORROW it will be 17 years to the day that Micky Fenton rode Speciosa to win the 1000 Guineas for Pam Sly and on Monday he sent out his first ever winner as a trainer, when Run Forest Run (8/1) and Jamie Powell just got up to win the Keadeen Hotel Handicap by a short-head from Pretty Boy Floyd. Fenton moved back to Ireland in 2019 and set up a training base in Co Cork and currently has eight in training. He was delighted to secure his first winner, outlining the feeling was “totally different” to riding a winner.

Fenton spent time with Emma Lavelle, Chris Wall and Charlie Appleby in Britain.

There was a 40/1 winner in the seven-furlong PG Duffy & Sons Citroen Apprentice Handicap as the Charles O’Brien-trained Shimmerz won from 7lbs out of the handicap.

Racing prominently for Siobhan Rutledge, the Allegro Syndicate-owned mare got the measure of Verhoyen inside the two furlong pole and kept on well for a two-and-a-quarter-length success.

Rutledge reported both she and the connections were a little surprised by the result. The five-year-old had done most of her racing at Dundalk so may well have improved from running on grass here and will have options now after this clear career best.