There was a high class flat card at Naas on Monday with three stakes races. Jim Bolger’s smart 2yo Dawn Approach (IRE) made it three wins in three runs when winning the Listed Alfred Nobel Rochestown Stakes. Owned and bred by his trainer, Dawn Approach showed a good attitude to beat the Richard Hannon trained Mister Marc by two and three quarter lengths. Royal Ascot is next for the son of New Approach with the trainer commenting; “Dawn Approach will go for the Chesham Stakes with the possibility we might run in the Coventry Stakes. It was a fierce gallop and he stuck at it well. He has a great temperament. I’d say like all good horses he wants good ground, but he won on soft at the Curragh and it looks like he’s versatile.”

Richard Hannon went one better in the Coolmore sponsored Listed EBF Sprint Stakes when his 2yo filly Sky Lantern (IRE) justified favouritism in impressive fashion. The winner is also Ascot bound and her trainer is quite excited about her future and believes she will improve further for a step up in trip. Bred by Tally-Ho Stud, Sky Lantern is by their ill-fated stallion Red Clubs out of Shawanni and was sold by the stud as a yearling in Goffs Orby Sale to Sackville Donald for €75,000. She comes from a prolific winning family and is a sibling to four stakes performers so she will be a valuable breeding prospect following her racing career.

One Spirit (IRE) will also make a much sought after broodmare but there are plenty more races to be won before that based on her performance in the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes. The Ger Lyons trained daughter of Invincible Spirit was bred by Frank Dunne who also trained her to win a maiden last year. She was sold at Tattersalls Ireland’s September Yearling Sale for €100,000 to Jim Bolger and is out of a half sister to champion sprinter Diktat and is a grand-daughter of champion filly Park Appeal.