Agartha climbs further up the ladder with Debutante success

The Joseph O'Brien-trained Agartha was unable to win a maiden, albeit over shorter trips, but having broken her duck in the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown last time, she put her head a little further through the glass ceiling on this occasion with a doughty front-running performance in the Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes.

This Caravaggio filly seems to have improved vastly in contesting Pattern races, and there could not be much doubt about how pleasing a performance this was in a very open-looking Group 2.

Agartha set off in front with her rider Declan McDonogh ensuring that the pace was a good one. One by one, her rivals came off the bridle while she kept finding, and in the end she was well worth her two-length margin of victory over 25-1 outsider Sunset Shiraz, who picked up the remainder of the pieces from the back of the field in the last furlong. Alpha Centauri's sister Discoveries was a further two and a half lengths away in third.

O'Brien, who also won the Debutante last year with Pretty Gorgeous, must now be sorely tempted to let his filly take her chance in the Moyglare Stud Stakes in three weeks time, and if she can keep up this level of improvement, who knows what might happen.

Assistant trainer Brendan Powell said: "She's unreal. She's tough and seems to go on any ground.

"Declan made plenty of use of her at Leopardstown and did the same today. You could see them coming off it one by one. She stays well, she gallops well and puts her head down. Most of all, she's an absolute trier and it makes you wonder how she didn't win her maiden."

"It's only onwards and upwards from here. She's in the Moyglare and it would seem the natural next step."

Point Lonsdale (Ryan Moore) stays on powerfully to win the Futurity StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

Lonsdale belts out a fourth success

The unbeaten Point Lonsdale made it four out of four with a workmanlike yet convincing performance in the Galileo Irish EBF Futurity Stakes, and in the process hardened into 8-1 favourite (from 9-1) for the 2022 Cazoo Derby with Paddy Power.

Making all under Ryan Moore, the son of Australia drew away strongly inside the last furlong to score by four and a quarter lengths over Maritime Wings, again showing that he is effective on soft ground without being in love with the surface.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien said: "He's a lovely straightforward horse. He relaxes, he quickens and his head goes down when you ask him.

"He wants good ground, he's a lovely mover, and he'll be back here for the National Stakes next month."

Results, replays and analysis

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