Cabaret leads rivals a merry dance

JOHNNY Murtagh completed a superb treble at Leopardstown last night, highlighted by Cabaret’s convincing, all-the-way win in the featured, Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes.

Winner of a Curragh maiden last time, the Galileo filly broke smartly. Murtagh clearly wanted to dictate the pace, which he was allowed do as Kevin Manning settled Kitty Kiernan in second spot, with Kevin Prendergast’s pair further adrift.

Murtagh quickened the tempo on the home-turn and soon had his rivals in trouble as Cabaret stayed on strongly to slam Alshahbaa by four and a half lengths, a performance that delighted winning trainer Aidan O’Brien, who stated: “She’s a nice, progressive filly and is coming on with every run.”