Minding stamped her class on the Camelot Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at Naas.
The standout filly of her generation having won the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks, she also beat the boys over a mile in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day.
She will face much sterner tasks than this as the season unfolds, but it was pleasing to see Aidan O’Brien’s four-year-old look in such good form so early in the campaign.
Jim Bolger's Moonlight Magic tried to take her on for the lead early, but Ryan Moore soon established an advantage which his mount would never relinquish.
Without being asked too many questions, Minding took a few lengths out of the field and the 1-3 favourite extended in pleasing fashion.
Moonlight Magic came home a clear second best as Moore allowed Minding to coast across the line.
O’Brien said: “We’re delighted to get her started back, it’s nice to get her going again. Ryan was very happy with her.
“She has the options of the Tattersalls (Gold Cup) or the Lockinge in Newbury. We’ll probably be looking at the Tattersalls, I’d imagine that’s where we’ll go.
“We’ll take it one at a time but we’d be thinking of the Prince Of Wales at Royal Ascot then.
“She’s a great filly and what she did last year was incredible. To go back to a mile at the end, it’s very rare a horse can do that over a mile, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half.
“She’s done well physically and has changed into a four-year-old. When she was a two-year-old she looked like a two-year-old and then she looked like a three-year-old, but sometimes horses going from three to four don’t look like four-year-olds. She has changed.”
Rehana set herself up for a tilt at the Irish 1,000 Guineas with an authoritative success in the Canford Cliffs Athasi Stakes.
Mick Halford’s filly had finished a close-up third in a Guineas Trial on her reappearance and was a 6-4 joint-favourite with Dermot Weld’s year older Rose De Pierre.
The two had it between themselves from some way out but it was the younger Rehana with Shane Foley on her back who pulled two and three-quarter lengths clear.
“It went to plan. She’s a lovely filly and she had some good form at the top level,” said Halford.
“It’s just nice for her to get an opportunity there and she loves that ground.
“We said we’d keep it simple with her. It probably wasn’t ideal to make the running but she doesn’t mind as she’s straightforward.
“Ground is important to her and if she gets her ground she’ll take her chance in the (Irish) Guineas.
“It’s beautiful ground there and she has such an action that she floats over it.
“We’ll see how she is come the time. That will do her confidence good. She’s had a couple of races against top class fillies and even her comeback run was good.
“It’s amazing at this time of year if the fillies get their head in front it does a lot for their confidence. She’s been training very well.
“On that ground it’s easier. Her fitness is quite good as well with the run under her belt. When they enjoy that ground it’s a big help.”
When asked if she could step up in trip in time, Halford responded: “No. She’ll go a mile, I’d imagine, she’s not short of pace.”
