Stubbs books Royal Ascot place with convincing win

Favourites Stubbs and Sandiva emulated Dawn Approach and Sky Lantern respectively when justifying favouritism in the listed two-year-old races in Naas yesterday.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Stubbs, a red-hot 8/13 favourite, foiled British raider Sacha Park in the Alfred Nobel Rochestown Stakes before Mandiva, trained in England by Richard Fahey, followed-up her debut success at Nottingham in the Coolmore Stud Fillies Sprint Stakes.

In a muddling race, Stubbs was soon prominent in the Rochestown and readily forged clear inside the final furlong to beat Sacha Park by a length and three-quarters.