Halford gamble pays-off with Miss Emma
The three-year-old filly, making her seasonal debut, edged ahead with a furlong and a half to race before holding the late surge of veteran One Won One by a fast diminishing head.
Halford explained: "I took a chance running her at this level. She was entered in today's handicap but I didn't want to run her under top weight and the decision has paid off. I'm not sure where we'll go from here."
Reigning champion Michael Kinane took the riding honours recording a double on Dane Care in the sprint handicap on the Aidan O'Brien trained Fontanesi in the ten furlong maiden.
Badly drawn, Kinane delayed his challenge of Dane Care in the Hugh Developments at Naas Racecourse Handicap but, when he produced the three-year-old, he soon shot clear to win by 2½ lengths.
Later Fontanesi, uneasy in the market, outpointed favourite Prominent Feature to complete the double in the Re-Max Town and Country Maiden.
Meanwhile, Downpatrick born Tony Dobbin enjoyed his first success at Down Royal when Glynn Dingle justified 5/1 favouritism in the 40,000 Daily Mirror Handicap Chase.
Dobbin, who won the Grade No. 1 Emo Oil Champion Hurdle on Quazar at Punchestown on Friday, was following up a recent win on Glynn Dingle achieved at Perth.
Tony Martin, trainer of the winner, declared: "Today was his Gold Cup. It doesn't matter if he never wins again. The boys are happy."
Glynn Dingle got the better of Native Performance at the final fence for a convincing win and, although he doesn't appreciate fast ground, could be aimed at the Galway Plate where Martin's David Lad is likely to compress the weights.
Trainer Jessica Harrington is in tremendous form and completed a double with French Cedar and Strike Back.
French Cedar, carrying the colours of Kieran Flood who owned the ill-fated French Holly, wore down long time leader City Hall to win the Beginners Chase.
Strike Back, confidently ridden by Peter Fahey, displayed an impressive turn of foot to win the second division of the Bumper, the first division having been won by the Noel Meade trained Tunes of Glory, having his first run since fracturing a cannon-bone at Down Royal a year ago.
Yesterday's meeting at Cork was called off due to waterlogging.
A spokesman for the track said: "We had two inches of rain overnight and yesterday and there is surface water on the track."
Meanwhile Kieren Fallon followed up his Sagitta 1000 Guineas success on Russian Rhythm 24 hours earlier with an 83-1 treble on Cape Fear, Millafonic and Topkamp at Kempton.
The last-named was arguably the most impressive of the trio, finding a telling burst in the final furlong of the EBF Fillies Conditions Stakes to overhaul Camlet and win by a length and a half.
Topkamp (5-2) had suffered from slow starts in previous outings, but broke on terms with her seven rivals, and then found a gap over a furlong out through which to make her challenge and nail Camlet, who had made the running, 100 yards from home.
Michael Bell, Topkamp's trainer, said: "She missed the kick in a Listed race at Haydock last time when we quite fancied her, but I think the step up to six furlongs gave her a good chance and the jockey's on fire, isn't he?
"We'll try and find a little Listed race, possibly the Sandy Lane at Haydock, although she wants fast ground and we all know what Haydock can get like."
Fallon had dropped his whip shortly after hitting the front on Luca Cumani's Millafonic (2-1) in the Heathrow Maiden Stakes, but it made no difference as he pushed his mount out with hands and heels to repel the persistent Giocoso by three-quarters of a length.
The winner, third on his debut at Yarmouth on Easter Monday, is out of Milligram, who in 1986 won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, the Coronation Stakes and the Waterford Crystal Mile and finished second in both the English and Irish 1,000 Guineas.
"We do quite like him," said Cumani.
"He was too green at Yarmouth, but today he knew a little bit more about it. Kieren liked the way that he put him in the race, then picked the gap up when he needed it and ran all the way to the line.
"I think a mile is fine for him, and I think he will get a mile at a stiffer track."
Cape Fear, who made a successful debut for Brian Meehan in the EBF Maiden Stakes, could be aimed at the Listed betfair.com National Stakes at Sandown later this month.
Cape Fear made virtually all the running to beat Toronto Heights by a neck and Meehan said: "He's a lovely horse. We might consider something like the National Stakes at Sandown and then go from there, and maybe take him to Ascot."
Fallon just missed out on a four-timer when failing by a short head on 7-4 favourite High Point to peg back Got One Too (100-30) in the concluding Rynardt Be Lucky Handicap.
Meehan completed a 63-1 double when Chinkara (7-1) took the kempton.co.uk Handicap under Eddie Ahern, holding Fabulous Jet by half a length.
Putra Pekan became the third horse in nine years to win successive runnings of the Jubilee Stakes, the day's Showcase handicap.
Desert Green in 1995 and 1996 and Tertium in 1998 and 1999 were the previous two dual winners and Putra Pekan (8-1) placed his name alongside them when wearing down the top weight Norton in the final 75 yards to win by a length.
"We have kept him for this race again and we think he is best on a turning course," said Michael Jarvis, Putra Pekan's trainer.
"He got very keen with the blinkers on last year so we took them off a couple of times. We were a little bit worried how he would react with them back on today but there was a good pace on so Philip was able to settle him."
