A trans-Atlantic dash paid hansome dividends for Pat Smullen as he landed a treble before an attendance of 4,029 at Leopardstown this afternoon.
Smullen rode Jazz Beat to finish a close second in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington last night and returned to Dublin at 9am this morning.
Vinnie Roe, twice a Classic winner last season and narrowly deied in the Ascot Gold Cup, scored his first win over 12 furlongs in the Listed Ballyroan Stakes.
Dermot Weld, who has remained in America, listened to the race by phone and expressed his delight at this success and the later win of Dress To Thrill.
After Vinnie Roe's victory, Mark Weld said, 'Pat said he got very tired in the closing stages but we expected that as we have left plenty to work on.
We can look forward to the autumn with him now and he will next run in the St Leger at the Curragh and then its off to Australia for the Melbourne Cup in November.'
Dress To Thrill maintained her unbeaten record this season when quickening in good style inside the final furlong to win the Group 3 Desmond Stakes.
She ran out the winner by a length and a half from English-raider Duck Row with Ahsanabad putting his remarkable effort (blowing hard post race) at the Curragh last time firmly behind him to finish third.
The winner will bid to make it three-in-a-row in the Matron Stakes on Irish Champion Stakes Day he next month.
John Oxx and Johnny Murtagh landed the valuable August Handicap with their Curragh maiden winner Mkuzi who saw off favourite Champion Lodge to win by half a length.
Unexposed after just two runs, Mkuzi is clearly still improving and was suited by the fast ground.
Oxx and Murtagh shared a second winner when Dear Catch scored for the first time in 10 starts in the Clontarf Handicap. The 14/1 winner paid e25.40 on the Tote.
The pair were were fancied to complete a treble in the concluding Dalkey Handicap but the well supported favourite Auditor could only finish second to the equally well backed Mountain Star.
Kevin Prendergast has had a super year with his juvenile string and Kurbaan became his 17th individual two-year-old winner of the season when gamely holding off favourite Akash to win the eight furlong maiden.
