Missunited and Kevin Manning sees it out well from Shu Lewis© Photo Healy Racing
Mick Winters' ultra-game mare Missunited led all the way to land what looked a hot renewal of the Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown.
Kevin Manning wasn't hanging about on the versatile seven-year-old, who is now likely to take up her Ascot Gold Cup entry, and he was made to step up the pace from some way out as the challengers started to apply pressure.
But Missunited (7-2) wasn't for passing and after extending her lead from the top of the straight, she ran on with great relish to hold Shu Lewis by three-quarters of a length, with another one and a quarter to Tarana
The other Listed contest, the King George V Cup, produced a desperately close finish and it went to the Ger Lyons-trained Roheryn (17-2), completing a double for the trainer and his jockey Colin Keane after Convergence (4-1) in the juvenile maiden.
The Qatar Racing-owned three-year-old led on the turn in and set sail for home, but she was being hauled in all the way through the final furlong by Streetcar To Stars and the post came just in time as she won by a nose.
The rest of the card was dominated by Fran Berry, who rode a treble begun by Pyromaniac on his first start for Tony Martin. The 11-4 favourite, carrying the colours of Derby hope Fascinating Rock, took a while to hit top gear in the William Fry Handicap before surging up to win by a length and three-quarters.
Berry carried the same colours to victory on stablemate Artful Artist (6-4 favourite) in the Compass Group Ireland Handicap, again leaving it late before steaming past the leaders to win going away by three lengths.
The jockey's other victory came on Charles O'Brien's 7-2 favourite Henry Higgins who had to drop back and pull wide to find room in the RSM Farrell Grant Sparks Handicap and only just had time to collar Edge Of Sanity and score by three-quarters of a length.
John Oxx has a nice prospect in Ponfeigh (8-11 favourite), who was third to his Derby-bound stablemate Ebanoran on debut and showed a nice turn of foot under Declan McDonogh
