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There's no stopping champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins on the Flat at the moment and he followed up his double Royal Ascot success with Simenon when smart hurdler Ceol Rua won at Ballinrobe.
The Ladies Day At Ballinrobe Maiden was hardly in the same class as the Ascot Stakes and the Queen Alexandra Stakes, and the manner of victory was very different, too.
Ceol Rua was never travelling for Pat Smullen, but the jockey persevered and the 4-6 favourite eventually picked up the leaders and forged to the front deep inside the final furlong to score by half a length.
Smullen said: "They went a good gallop. She's all stamina and heart. The tight track was not totally to her liking, but she showed great determination in the last furlong and a half. Stamina and courage on the day won out."
It looked unlikely that the Michael Grassick-trained Allusive Power (16-1) would figure in the finish of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden on the approach to the final bend, but she got a lovely run up the rail and responded well to Niall McCullagh's urgings to beat favourite Golden Acorn by a length.
The trainer said: "That was a nice surprise - and a little miracle - but she's always had ability. The small field helped as she wasn't getting messed about. She's in the July sales and the plan was to go there before today."
Via Del Corso took a good lead into the final quarter-mile of the Coleman Quarries Handicap and Colm O'Donoghue had just enough up his sleeve for David Kelly's filly (8-1) to hold Painted Fingers and the unlucky Curl Cat by two necks.
The trainer said: "A lot of people said I was mad when I claimed her this day last week. I'm delighted as that's my first Flat winner. I bought her to go hurdling, but she'll do both. Colm gave her a great ride."
Martin Ferris took the Purcell Construction Maiden Hurdle by the scruff of the neck some way out and never looked like being caught as he kept going strongly to win by four and three-quarter lengths on Mouse Morris's 7-2 chance Miradane.
Killian Moore won't have fond memories of the second division of the Mask Pavillion Handicap Hurdle as he appeared to ride a finish a circuit too soon on Gerard Keane's The Millar Murray, and the race was eventually won by Ian McCarthy on John Carr's 3-1 favourite Dunroe Boy
