Thursday 27 July 2017 20:16, UK
A round-up of the pick of the action from Leopardstown on Thursday night as Aidan O'Brien's odds-on favourites obliged.
The Pentagon was promoted to 10/1 favouritism by Sky Bet for the Investec Derby next June after a comfortable success in the Group Three JRA Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown.
Aidan O'Brien's colt was already close to the top of the ante-post market (14/1) before he was sent on his way as the 4/11 favourite for this Group Three over seven furlongs.
And The Pentagon did not disappoint as he followed up an eight-and-a-half-length Curragh maiden success with a solid victory under Ryan Moore.
The Galileo colt need plenty of encouragement on the dash to the line, and fleetingly looked in a spot of bother, but he really knuckled down inside the final furlong to convincingly take top honours.
Theobald finished second, a length and three-quarters adrift of the winner.
O'Brien said: "Ryan felt that he was very raw, and it was only when he went past the line that he really got to straighten himself up.
"He said he went past the line and he took off.
"He's a very good mover and wouldn't mind fast ground. He could go for the Futurity (Curragh, August 20)."
Happily was operating on a different level in the Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes.
O'Brien's daughter of Galileo claimed a Curragh maiden on her penultimate start in June and really caught the eye to win this seven-furlong Group Three for fillies.
Easter Lily made most the running, closely tracked by Dawn Delivers and then Happily, the Ryan Moore-ridden 8/11 favourite.
The latter was nudged wide as the field straightened for home and coolly gained a definitive lead she would not relinquish.
Happily showed marked improvement the longer the race went and was much too classy for Shalailah, who was also second behind the O'Brien inmate at the Curragh.
O'Brien said of the five-length winner: "You'd be delighted with that. She looks like she's come forward again.
"You could look at the Debutante (Curragh, August 20) and then the Moyglare (Curragh, September 10). We'll take it one race at a time but you'd imagine something like that."
The Pentagon is now available at around 8-1 about winning the Derby next summer. O'Brien said: "Ryan felt that he was very raw, and it was only when he went past the line that he really got to straighten himself up. "He said he went past the line and he took off. "He's a very good mover and wouldn't mind fast ground. He could go for the Futurity (Curragh, August 20)."
