Softly books Guineas place

The 1,000 Guineas at either Newmarket or Longchamp is next on the agenda for Sing Softly after a convincing success in the Listed Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh.

The Ballydoyle filly, who took her maiden here on opening day, showed plenty of class to dispose of a decent field in stylish fashion.

Colm O'Donoghue let her bowl along at the head of affairs along with Tell The Wind

That rival cried enough over a furlong out but the daughter of Hennessy galloped on strongly in the closing stages.

The well backed favourite Defining Year (5/2 into 7/4) tried hard to throw down a challenge inside the final furlong but was always playing second best, going down by a length.

"She shows plenty of speed. I ran her today as I thought if she gets seven in that ground she's likely to get a mile," said Aidan O'Brien afterwards.

"We'll look at the English or French Guineas for her. She wants good ground."

The winner was cut from 50/1 to 33/1 by Ladbrokes for the English 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Glor Na Mara proved a major disappointment, trailing in last, with Kevin Manning looking down in the closing stages as if something had gone amiss.