Winkle picks off outclassed Cuis

Cuis Ghaire suffered her first defeat in four starts when Rip Van Winkle pounced in the Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown.

Jim Bolger’s filly was installed as the 1000 Guineas favourite after her third successive triumph in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot – but could simply not match the finishing kick of Aidan O’Brien’s juvenile.

Things looked promising for followers of the 8-11 favourite once Kevin Manning’s mount was nudged into the lead around a furlong and a half from home.

However, Rip Van Winkle, anchored to the rear of the four-runner field for most of the Group Three contest, made stealthy progress under Johnny Murtagh and had a length and a quarter in reserve at the line.

Coral reacted quickly to Rip Van Winkle’s effortless victory and make the Galileo colt their 8-1 favourite for next season’s 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Cuis Ghaire remains the Berkshire firm’s 8-1 market leader for the fillies’ Classic.

Murtagh and O’Brien, who won the opening seven-furlong maiden with Gluteus Maximus, made it a treble when King Of Rome landed the Meld Stakes.

The 5-4 favourite was taking on his elders for the first time but made routine work of this Group Three heat over 10 furlongs.

O’Brien’s Montjeu colt picked up the baton from stablemate King of Westphalia just after the two-furlong marker and eased to a two-length call over the staying-on Lord Admiral (3-1).

King Rama turned in a satisfactory performance before the Galway Festival when eighth to Whispering Wind (9-1) in the Roughan & O’Donovan “Des Kernan Memorial” Handicap.

John Kiely’s dual-purpose seven-year-old is ante-post favourite for the Galway Hurdle next Thursday and stayed on to the line in this mile-and-a-half contest, without ever testing the principals.

Whispering Wind, trained by Joanna Morgan and ridden by Pat Smullen, came up trumps with a late surge which proved too good for runner-up Kitty Hawk Miss.