Sunday 29 March 2015 20:26, UK
A review of the rest of Sunday's meeting at the Curragh, where Dermot Weld enjoyed a double with Stormfly and Ashraf.
Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen enjoyed a couple of winners at the Curragh on Sunday afternoon, with Stormfly (12/1) initiating the brace for the Rosewell House team by claiming a pulsating 203rd Madrid Handicap.
Weld said: "She was stakes placed (last year) and we'll let her take her chance in the Group Three 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown. She has everything to gain and nothing to lose.
"She's tough and genuine and a lovely filly to train. She loves soft ground."
Weld also has ambitious plans for Ashraf (3/1) after he streaked clear in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Maiden.
"He won nicely and will go for the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown. He should make into a nice colt and I would expect him to be comfortable going a mile and a quarter," said the trainer.
State Of Emergency lunged fast and late to make a winning debut for Michael O'Callaghan in the Tally Ho Stud European Breeders Fund Maiden.
The 10/1 shot travelled powerfully in the hands of Emmet McNamara and although he looked to have nowhere to go two furlongs from home, he picked up impressively once switched wide to get up by half a length from Bebhinn.
O'Callaghan said: "Emmet gave him a super ride.
"We'd just done enough done with him. He's a very good moving colt and will be better on better ground. He's a good ground horse.
"We might look at something like the Marble Hill Stakes back here. That's my first win at the Curragh."
McNamara received a one-day suspension for careless riding.
Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore combined to clinch the Big Bad Bob Maiden with 11/4 favourite The Warrior.
The three-year-old earned a three-figure rating following some fine efforts in defeat as a juvenile and ultimately had little trouble in making a successful comeback.
Having jetted in from Dubai, Moore was content to take his time aboard the market leader and although he had to get to work from two furlongs down, The Warrior responded generously and quickened up in the mud to score by two and a half lengths.
Mulkeyya ran a fine race on her racecourse debut to fill the runner-up spot, ahead of Creggs Pipes in third.
O'Brien said: "He'd had good runs last year and was rated to do that.
"You are never sure first time how they are. I usually come here thinking they are fit and find out that they aren't. It will be interesting to see how the other horses get on today."
Admirable veteran Bubbly Bellini (6/1) turned in a dominant display to claim a third course victory in the Joanna Morgan Lifetime Achievement Handicap.
"He's been a great servant and I'm glad to have him," said winning trainer Aido McGuinness.
"I gave him a couple of runs in Dundalk to get him right with soft ground early in the season in mind. That's his ground.
"Declan (McDonogh) rode him work a few times recently and was mad keen to ride him."
