< Sapphire could not have been more impressive on her four-year-old debut as Dermot Weld's filly stormed to victory in the Group Three Kerry Group Noblesse Stakes at Cork.
A Listed winner on her final run of last year at the Curragh, the daughter of Medicean looked to have thrived for another winter on her back, being sent to the front over two furlongs out and stretching readily clear.< Betterbetterbetter gave vain chase but never got within striking distance of Pat Smullen's mount, with four and three-quarter lengths the official margin of victory for the 11-8 favourite in the mile-and-a-half contest.< Mirza continued the excellent record of British raiders in Irish sprints when getting up close home to claim the Galtee Midsummer Sprint Stakes.
A winner at Newmarket last Saturday, the Rae Guest-trained gelding showed his toughness in lunging late to claim the Group Three prize.< My Girl Anna had looked the likely winner after cruising to the front, but Fran Berry got an excellent tune out of the 2-1 favourite to score by half a length.
Willie Mullins showed he can train juveniles on the Flat as well as big-race winners over jumps as Blue Bullet dug deep to repel Scent Of Roses in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
An unraced son of Red Clubs, Gary Carroll's mount took it up inside the final furlong after favourite Performance gave way, but looked sure to be swallowed up by Dermot Weld's filly, also a newcomer.
However, Carroll coaxed more from his mount to take the spoils by a neck at 7-1.
The Kerry Group Handicap saw a narrow victory for Chois The Idea (6-1) followed up a recent Down Royal victory in the hands of Danny Grant.
Pat Flynn's charge led inside the last of the six furlongs, and had enough in hand to see off the consistent Battleroftheboyne by a length.
A positive Seamie Heffernan ride from the front paid dividends as First Friday (12-1) held on to land the Kerry Group Race Day Handicap for Paul Hennessy by a diminishing half-length from Gothen Niece
