War Command (farside) comes to head to Intensified close home© Photo Healy Racing
< Pale Mimosa signalled she could be in for a big season as she returned to action with a battling success in the Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown.
Dermot Weld's filly was given a searching examination in the one-mile-six-furlong Listed contest as Joseph O'Brien set out to make it a real test from the front on El Salvador tracked by Missunited
Pat Smullen took closer order on the turn into the straight and Pale Mimosa (5-4 favourite) answered every call as the she put in a telling challenge before beating Missunited by two and a half lengths.
Mick Halford's smart colt Dibayani struck for the second time in his career when coming from last to first to take the King George V Cup in the hands of Declan McDonogh.
Slowly away and still in rear as they turned into the straight, the three-year-old (7-2) picked his way through the field to hit the front inside the final furlong and beat favourite Count Of Limonade by three-quarters of a length.
Aidan O'Brien unleashed another promising youngster from his Ballydoyle battalions when debutant War Command took the Irish National Stud Famous Name EBF Maiden in eyecatching style.
The 6-4 shot was caught a little flat-footed when evens favourite Intensified hit the front in the straight, but he picked up nicely in the final furlong and caught the leader close home to win by a neck in the hands of Joseph O'Brien.
The O'Briens completed a double when Point Piper (10-1) asserted well inside the final furlong to take the Compass Group Ireland Maiden by two and three-quarter lengths from Shouranour
Kevin Manning doubled up for Jim Bolger on Fionnuar (13-2) in the William Fry Handicap and Cul Baire (8-1) in the RSM Farrell Grant Sparks Handicap, on both occasions sitting second and taking charge early in the straight to win readily.
