Shawanda The Star Of The Show

Shawanda marked herself out as a top performer of the current Classic generation with a hugely impressive success in the Irish Oaks - the feature event of an exciting weekend´s racing.

Christophe Soumillon hailed the Aga Khan-owned filly as his easiest Group One winner after her win in the Darley-sponsored race and although the young Belgian rider is tender in years, he has ridden enough top-class horses to make such a bold statement worth noting.

The Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained 9-2 chance was always hacking along in mid-division as the 13-strong field went along at a good pace behind Thakafaat.

Soumillon only had to ask his mount to quicken up at the two-furlong pole and what had looked a competitive event was turned on its head as the winner quickly shot clear.

Playful Act, one of three British-trained contenders, was throwing down her challenge at the same time and came out of the pack in pursuit.

But although Playful Act (5-1) comfortably accounted for the remainder of the field and finished three and a half lengths clear of third-home Mona Lisa (10-1), Shawanda was simply in a different league to her rivals.

Shawanda will now be targeted at the Arc de Triomphe, with the Prix Vermeille and Yorkshire Oaks under consideration as targets en-route.

'I thought that the bigger track would suit her and she has plenty of class,' said Royer-Dupre.

'This is my first winner in Ireland although I have been second in both the Oaks and the Derby before.

'She is a very calm filly and she was relaxed. She has a good mind. But I was worried about her travelling over here because she has never had to go far before.'

Soumillon added: 'It was just so easy, my easiest Group One winner.

'If I had been harder on her she could have won by 10 lengths. She was like a champion today. For a filly to do that in a race like this is amazing.'

The Aidan O´Brien-trained Amigoni and John Oxx´s Caradak shared the minor spoils as they took the Dubai Duty Free Anglesey Stakes and Emirates Airline Minstrel Stakes respectively.

Another filly, Lady Livius took top honours at Newbury on Saturday when springing a 100-1 shock in the Weatherbys Super Sprint.

In a bid to win the race for the sixth time in its 15 runnings, trainer Richard Hannon saddled five of the 25 runners.

But even Hannon admitted that he had spent much of the week trying to persuade John Lee, the owner of the winning filly, to give the race a wide berth in favour of easier pickings at Windsor on Monday night.

As usual the runners fanned right across the course from the start but in a repeat of If Paradise´s win in the race two years ago, Lady Livius found the supposed disadvantage of racing from stall one to be no barrier to success.

Martin Dwyer had the filly, unplaced in both her previous starts, smartly out of the stalls and she was always in the front rank holding 16-1 chance Nigella who led home the stands´ side group.

Hannon was as surprised as anyone to see Lady Livius prevail.

'I couldn´t see her winning it from that draw but If Paradise won from that side as well,' he said.

'I haven´t got a clue where we´ll go now. I kept telling John not to bother running her here and to wait for a maiden at Windsor next week.

'But he said that he´d paid the money to enter her and he wanted to see her run.

'Credit to the boys - my son and his went to the sales just to buy her and when they only paid 20-odd thousand we thought that they´d got a bargain. She is a half-sister to Galeota who can go a bit, but she hadn´t shown much before today.

'First time she really needed it but last time we fancied her only for her to run very disappointingly. I don´t know what´s happened since but something obviously clicked.

'I need to find out what she´s been eating and give it to the rest of them!'

Hot favourite Titus Alone seemingly had no excuses as he could finish no better than eighth.

The return to form of James Eustace´s team continued in the David Wilson Homes Steventon Stakes as Welcome Stranger landed the Listed prize under Luke Fletcher while the other Listed race on the card, the Trailfinders Stakes (registered as the Hackwood Stakes) went to Beckermet.

Martin Pipe was the name on everyone´s lips at Market Rasen as he notched a 1,013-1 treble at the summer showpiece meeting.

The highlight of his hat-trick was an easy win for Tango Royal in the #65,000 totesport Summer Plate with the grey storming to a 12-length success at odds of 25-1.

The nine-year-old slowly crept his way into the race and found himself at the head of affairs turning for home before 3lb claimer Tom Malone sent him about his business down the home straight.

Tango Royal relished the quick ground, readily pulling clear after pinging the final fence, although a dreadful mistake by Good Lord Louis, that saw his jockey Paddy Brennan reaching for the stars, helped to add to his winning distance.

Pipe was also on the mark with Buena Vista taking the totescoop6 Summer Hurdle and Sardagna in the Gilbert And Molly King Memorial HBLB Handicap Chase

'I haven´t been here for a long time but I´m glad I came now having had three winners,' joked Pipe.

'It´s good to win this big race and I´m delighted for Tom Malone and the horse.

'Tom rode a good race. I told him to hold him up and creep in and he has judged it to perfection.'

The third-last fence in the Plate was omitted after Mick Fitzgerald took a nasty tumble from Celtic Boy on the first circuit.

He was airlifted to Lincoln County Hospital and will be out of action for six weeks after X-rays showed a broken bone in his shoulder.

? PA Sport