RacingAidan O'Brien has had a lot of talent through his hands but even he was moved to describe Silk And Scarlet as unusual after her success in last night's Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown.
It wasn't hard to blame the Ballydole trainer either because the Sadlers Wells filly pounced impressively from the rear of the field to power past Alexander Icequeen by a length and a half in the Listed race. La Maitresse was four and a half lengths back in third.
It was enough for Cashmans to fling a 40-1 quote for the 2005 Epsom Oaks into the melting pot but it was speed rather than stamina that had O'Brien so impressed.
"She's a lovely filly with a lot of class," he said. "It's very unusual for a Sadlers Wells filly to be winning over six furlongs and she still has plenty of stamina in her pedigree. There are lots of options but she is in the Debutante Stakes."
O'Brien had another favourite in the ten furlong conditions race but Cobra hung right throughout under Jamie Spencer and faded to fourth behind the filly Cache Creek.
Pat Hughes's runner is in foal to Barathea and could try her luck in Group class next in either the Meld Stakes or the Royal Whip.
"She was unlucky in the McDonogh at Galway last year but I think she might have too much weight for that," said Hughes who less than half an hour later won with Blue Away at Killarney.
Barolo was the sole British trained runner for the Challenge Stakes but John Murtagh had him in the lead from the start and the Peter Harris-trained five year old was too strong in the closing stages for Two Miles West.
Michael Kinane was at his brilliant best aboard Dashing Home who lived up to his name with a late pounce on Avec Plaisir in the premier handicap.
"Just magic!" grinned trainer Noel Meade who had resisted any suggestion of claiming off the winner. "I said we would have to claim 20lb to make up for Mick Kinane." Meade wants to run Dashing Home in the Galway Hurdle but will be praying the weights don't rise.
"The trouble is he is not huge and in those big handicaps he gets bumped around. If he runs he will have to be ridden closer to the gallop," he said.
Bocaccio was backed from 7-1 all the way down to 9-4 for the mile handicap and there was never a doubt from when Niall McCullagh kicked for home at the two furlong pole.
