Aidan O'Brien and Mick Kinane combined to complete a double with Keats and Shoal Creek, both owned by the powerful John Magnier/Michael Tabor alliance, on the concluding day of the Cork Easter meeting yesterday.
Newcomer Keats, highly regarded in the Ballydoyle juvenile pecking order, obliged by a neck under hands and heels riding from Mick Kinane at odds of 1 to 3 in the opener over the minimum trip, after which joint owner John Magnier remarked: 'It's hard on two-year-olds first time out on that soft ground and Mick said it was very testing.'
Shoal Creek, making his third appearance of the current campaign, completed the 3 to 1 brace in the one mile maiden with a bold front-running victory from Shibi and the fast-finishing newcomer, The Rort.
Jammaal paid the unbeaten Monashee Mountain a handsome compliment when defeating market rival Bashkir in the four-runner EBF Race over 1m 1f for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen.
Runner-up to the Aidan O'Brien charge at the Curragh last month, now quoted as low as 10 to 1 for next month's Sagitta 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Robellino colt gradually forged away from his market rival from the two furlong pole to land the spoils by two-and-a-half lengths.
'As expected,' remarked Dermot Weld after his charge justified strong support from 1 to 2 to 2 to 7 before he added, 'Pat said the ground was very testing but don't judge him on that. He handles it alright and he'll get 1m 2f.'
Sparkling Harmony and Kevin Manning got up in the dying stride to pip Challenger Two in the 7f handicap, his third win over the course and distance.
The 6 to 1 winner, trained by Jim Gorman, was purchased last year for £6,000 by the sevenmember Nine Lives Syndicate, who leased the five-year-old for two years beforehand.
Pat Flynn received a welcome change of luck when Pollardsfield and Glen Norris, his fourth success in the plate, held off the challenge of Deoch An Dorais in the winners bumper.
'My horses weren't well so I left a lot of them off but they have shown signs of coming back in recent days. This fellow may run again in a two mile flat maiden at Navan next weekend.'
