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Intelligence Cross towers above Curragh rivals

Intelligence Cross looked in a different class to his rivals as he powered away to convincingly take the Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh.

Placed in his last two starts behind Mehmas after opening his account over this course and distance, Aidan O'Brien's youngster was always well placed on the near-side rail as Velveteen made the running.

When Seamie Heffernan asked the 11-8 favourite for his effort, the response was impressive as he quickened clear to score by four and a quarter lengths from Holy Cat. De Boss Man was a neck back in third.

Intelligence Cross was completing a treble for O'Brien following the wins of Yucatan and Somehow earlier on the card.

O'Brien said: "He went to York, but didn't run because of the ground. He missed a few bits of work because of going over there and I was a little bit worried about that today. We'll look at the Middle Park now with him."

Yucatan wore down his stablemate Taj Mahal to open his account in the Ladbrokes EBF (C&G) Maiden.

Taj Mahal set out to make all the running and had Lightening Fast, a son of Frankel, for company for most of the mile journey.

When he could not go on, Donnacha O'Brien brought the impeccably-bred 4-1 winner - by Galileo out of Six Perfections - with a telling run that saw him get up close home to score by a head. Three Jacks was two and a three-quarter lengths away third.

O'Brien snr said: "He came forward lovely from the first day and had a lovely run the first day under Ana (O'Brien).

"He's a very well-bred horse and he looks a middle-distance horse for next year. I'm trying to educate him this year and, if he comes out of this race OK, he could have another run."

He added: "The other horse (Taj Mahal) is a bit frustrating and is still very babyish. He's looking in front of him all the time. He's not ungenuine, but just babyish."

Donnacha O'Brien said: "He's still a little green and pricked his ears. The gap came lovely and it worked out well. He might be a mile-and-a-quarter horse next year."

Sea Wolf came out on top in a typically-competitive renewal of the Tote Irish Cambridgeshire.

An Saighdiur took the field along with Breath Easy in hot pursuit before Sea Wolf (9-1) came travelling strongly through the pack under Colin Keane.

Leading a furlong out, Sea Wolf kept up the gallop to run out a clear-cut winner, by half a length from Sikandarabad. Aared was a length and a half back in third, with Hasanpour another half a length away in fourth.

Brian Ellison's Galway Festival scorer Dream Walker finished strongly, right behind the placed horses after being at the rear for most of the race.

Trainer Ger Lyons said: "He bled the last day at Galway so we came here with no confidence. He's in the big handicaps on Irish Champions Weekend. D avid (Spratt, owner) is very good at finding these horses and bought him earlier this year. All bar one of the horses he's got have won."


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