SUPER SUNDAY FOR WELD AND SMULLEN AT CURRAGH

Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen, fresh from their St Leger success with Vinnie Roe, continued on their winning ways at the Curragh on Sunday when Irresistible Jewel landed the Aga Khan Studs Blandford Stakes en route to a 48 ? / 1 treble.

The race looked a match beforehand and so it proved when the 7/4 favourite headed long time leader and market rival Chorist (5/2-9/4) inside the final furlong to score by 1/2L.

'This is our proper summer as you can see we are now winning plenty of races because we have finally got out ground,' said Weld, who has an 'overseas campaign' in mind for the Moyglare Stud-owned Royal Academy filly.

'She wants fast ground and we will look at races in the USA and Canada or even the Prix de l'Opera if the ground was good in Longchamp,' Weld said.

The Curragh trainer wasted little time in finding the winners enclosure again when Gowran maiden scorer Refuse To Bend swept to the front 1 ?f from home for Smullen and put paid to the unbeaten record of ?6.4 million purchase Van Nistelrooy.

'This is a tough and solid performer and I've no doubt he'll stay 1m4f next year,' said Weld, who declared he will train the son of Sadler's Wells for next year's Sagitta 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

The Rosewell House handler and the champion rider completed their three-timer when Faadhil (5/4-6/4-5/4f) made it third time lucky when defeating newcomer Arawan (6/4-7/4-5/4jf) in the finale.

The Solonaway Stakes produced a cracking finish with English raider Umistim (9/2-4/1) putting his head in front where it mattered from warm order Blatant (2/1-5/4f) and a gallant Castle Gandolfo who attempted to make every yard a winning one.

John Oxx, who trained the runner-up, went one better in the 2m handicap when Lowlander and Niall McCullagh prevailed at the expense of the fast finishing American Gothic and the well backed Media Puzzle (5/1-3/1f), who was supported from 10's before racing.

Punters got the day off to the best possible start when Jim Bolger's Shizao (6/4-2/1-7/4f) justified favouritism in the hands of Kevin Manning but the jackpot of ?24,295 went astray after 20/1 shot Glocca Morra won the 0-75 handicap.