Cappella Sansevero and Colin Keane stay on well from Dick Whittington and Toscanini© Photo Healy Racing
< Tarfasha (9-4) stormed into the Classic picture when trouncing her opponents in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Blue Wind Stakes at Naas.
Dermot Weld's stoutly-bred daughter of Teofilo had been absent since finishing third to My Titania in a Curragh Group Three in September, and reappeared at the same level.
She relished rising to a mile and a quarter and after cruising to the front over two furlongs from the finish, she quickened away to cross the line with three and a quarter lengths in hand of runner-up We'll Go Walking < Cappella Sansevero (2-1 favourite) made it two wins from as many starts in the Fishery Lane Race.
Ger Lyons' youngster landed the odds with the minimum of fuss on his Dundalk debut, but it was a closer call here as he only had a head to spare over Dick Whittington at the line.
Much of the gloss was lost from the race by the withdrawal of War Envoy, but his trainer Aidan O'Brien will still take plenty of encouragement from the race, with his runner-up so nearly overcoming trouble in running, and going into many notebooks in the process.
O'Brien's US import Due Diligence made it second-time lucky on Irish soil in the valuable Woodlands 100 Club Handicap.
Joseph O'Brien was positive from the outset on the 6-4 market leader, and kept him up to his work to see off Wind Inher Sleeves by a length and a half.
Icy Station (4-1) showed her appreciation for the step up to six furlongs when beating She's A Pistol by two and a half lengths in the Dragon Pulse EBF Fillies Maiden. The disappointment of the race was Timbuktu who was ahead of the winner here last month but faded out of the frame after tracking the leaders.< Gypsy King looked to have matters sewn up when shooting clear halfway down the straight in the Kill (C & G) Maiden, but newcomer Zafayan (9-2) went after him and prevailed by a neck.
