Review curragh 29th Mar

< Ramone sprung a huge shock in the feature Group Three contest on the opening day of the new turf Flat season at the Curragh as she beat off all-comers at 100-1.

Bill Farrell's mare had one piece of decent form in Listed company to her name, but she was the lowest-rated runner in the contest and had never performed at this level.

Shane Foley sent her up to contest the lead with Amulet from a long way out in the Lodge Park Stud EBF Park Express Stakes and she battled through the testing conditions to assert a furlong out and then hold Afternoon Sunlight by two lengths.

Tommy Stack's lightly raced four-year-old Onenightidreamed (8-1) returned from a 10-month lay-off in mint condition to take the Tote Irish Lincolnshire.< Aussie Valentine ploughed a lone furrow up the near-side rail in the straight and had everything beaten at the furlong pole except the eventual winner, who forged past 150 yards out in the hands of Wayne Lordan to score by a length.< The Warrior wasn't beaten far in the Middle Park last season and Aidan O'Brien's 11-4 favourite had too much toe for the opposition in the Big Bad Bob Maiden, sweeping into the lead in the final furlong and winning by two and a half lengths under Ryan Moore.

Michael O'Callaghan's juvenile State Of Emergency (10-1) collared Bebhinn close home to land the opening race of the campaign, the Tally Ho Stud EBF Maiden, winning by half a length in the hands of Emmet McNamara.

Ado McGuinness's veteran Bubbly Bellini (6-1) was always prominent in the Joanna Morgan Lifetime Achievement Handicap and after striking the front going to the final furlong, stuck on well to score by two and a quarter lengths under Declan McDonogh.

Pat Smullen forced Dermot Weld's Stormfly (12-1) up to grab the Madrid Handicap by a head, and the trainer and jockey doubled up when Ashraf (3-1) impressed in taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden by four and three-quarter lengths.