Ireland's first Saturday evening fixture for five years attracted a crowd of 6339 to Leopardstown on Saturday. The distribution of several thousand free tickets beforehand coupled with the post race attraction of popular band Picture House helped swell the Foxrock attendance, who had to wait until the featured Brownstown Stakes for the first favourite to oblige in the shape of Dermot Weld's filly Dress To Thrill.
The 6/4 shot travelled well throughout for Pat Smullen before she loomed up ominously alongside Alstemeria after turning for home and duly forged away to defeat the staying on Chiming by a length-and-a-half.
Speaking by phone from Hollywood Park in California where he was supervising Saranac Lake's preparation for the American Oaks Dermot Weld nominated the Group 2 Prix d'Astarte at Deauville next for the Moyglare Stud Farm-owned filly.
Racing opening with Lady O'Reilly's newcomer Plume Rouge making a winning bow in the hands of Declan McDonogh to provide trainer Kevin Prendergast, who turned 70 on Friday, with a welcome birthday present.
Prendergast was otherwise busy at his Curragh base preparing for a family birthday celebration but James Kelly, racing manager to Lady O'Reilly, said afterwards, 'This filly was originally purchased in the USA by Joanna Morgan for I think $5,400 before we bought her at Tattersalls in Fairyhouse for #26,000. She will run next in a G3 fillies race at the Curragh next month.'
One lucky Jackpot punter picked up a handsome dividend of Euro 8,106 after Kevin Manning and She's Our Girl drew right away inside the final furlong of the penultimate handicap to record a facile success for Kilkenny trainer Mick Holden.
Manning found the winners enclosure for the second time during the evening half-an-hour later when Jim Bolger's Casa Que Canta scored at the expense of Love Token and market leader Striking Pose.
