'He's powerful and fast and finds it very easy to go quick' - Middle Park next for Ides Of March after Round Tower victory

Another Saturday, another day of dominance at headquarters for Aidan O'Brien and his two-year-olds as the champion trainer and Ryan Moore combined to win the opening three races on the card.

No winner was more impressive than Ides Of March, who followed up his comfortable maiden victory here this month with an even more convincing success in the Group 3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes.

The son of Wootton Bassett got to the front early and showed a level of speed that some decent rivals were unable to match and was not flattered by the three-and-a-quarter-length margin of victory over Listed winning runner-up Usdi Atohi. Paddy Power cut him to 7-1 (from 14) for the Middle Park Stakes and to 16-1 (from 25) for the 2,000 Guineas.

O'Brien commented: "He's powerful and fast and finds it very easy to go quick. He travelled very easily through the race and he ran straight today which he didn't do last day. He'll probably go to the Middle Park now."

Dreamy follows up

The American Pharoah filly Dreamy was a little more difficult to assess in the Group 3 fillies' contest, having led late on in a 7f maiden at Goodwood the previous month. But with that experience under her belt and the step up to a mile helping her, the beautiful, rangy filly was strong to the line in holding off the dual challenge of Fiery Lucy and Alla Stella by a length and a half. 

She earned a 10-1 quote for the Fillies' Mile from Paddy Power, who cut her to 14-1 (from 20) for the Oaks.

O'Brien said: "She's still a baby. Ryan was minding her and trying to teach her and he was delighted with her. He said that she never really engaged until other horses came upsides her. We'll see if we will go again with her this year. We don't have to. We hope she could be an Oaks filly."

Acapulco Bay kicked off the stable treble when obliging at 2-11 in the opening maiden.

Tarawa dominates the Snow Fairy

The Aga Khan-owned filly Tarawa has been called a name or two in the past, but the key seems to have been found to her of late. Getting to the front early and making horses get past her has led to a change in her fortunes, and so it proved again in the Group 3 Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes.

Chris Hayes sent the daughter of Shamardal to the front early in the straight and, despite running around a little in front, she prevailed by a length and a quarter from the same owner's Hanalia and favourite Wingspan.

Trainer Dermot Weld, who had contemplated sending her to Kentucky Downs this weekend, commented: "She's been a model of consistency, she's been placed four times in Group races and has a lot of black type. Having won a stakes race at Leopardstown it was just lovely to go and win a Group race with her today."

He added: " I thought she had it won a long way out. I appreciate she got first run on them a little but the track is riding quick today and the plan was to sit very handy because they're not coming from off the pace. I think this is her best trip. The Matron Stakes could be a possibility. It depends on the make-up of the race. She's very good around Leopardstown so we'll give it definite consideration."

McGettigan off the mark

Letterkenny native Patrick McGettigan, 16, rode his first winner at the fifth attempt, and looked tidy in doing so when taking the nursery on the Johnny Murtagh-trained King Thistle.

It was the rider's fifth mount and Murtagh said: "He's a good young lad who's been with us a while. He went back to school last year and came back to us this year. He spent the summer with us and rode on the pony circuit. You can see by the way he rode today he will not be too bad."

Read more:

'We were very happy with that' - Aidan O'Brien upbeat despite workmanlike Debutante win for 1-16 Bedtime Story   

'It all fell into place' - Magical Zoe lands massive Ebor touch for jumps wizard Henry de Bromhead      

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