Ballerina skips past the field

The Champion Hurdle contender French Ballerina emphasised her versatility by winning the Savel Beg Stakes for the second year running yesterday evening.

To emphasise that versatility even more, winning trainer Pat Flynn didn't rule out a tilt at the Ascot Gold Cup for the mare, who had followed up her Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle win with a second on gruelling ground at last month's Punchestown festival.

"She's capable of coming back here for three in a row," Flynn smiled, but French Ballerina may not be finished for this summer yet. "She's in terrific shape even after a tough campaign, and, if it doesn't come up to firm, she could go to Ascot. If it does, the Irish St Leger may be an option. But her main target is the Champion Hurdle."

French Ballerina's blend of guts and acceleration will make her a formidable opponent in whatever she races in. The punters plunged on Gordi down to evens favourite, but even off a strong pace set by Joleah, he could never quite get to terms with French Ballerina, who Seamus Heffernan punched a length and a half clear.

Gordi's relative failure was the only black spot on a very good evening's work for Michael Kinane who brought his seasonal total to 18 with an almost 26 to 1 treble.

The Aidan O'Brien newcomer Tortoiseshell and Kevin Prendergast's Storm Cove were all the rage for the Roundwood Maiden, but Floating Agenda, with the benefit of a run under her belt, made all to win by a length.

"Experience is a huge difference with a two-year-old," explained Dermot Weld, who could next run the daughter of Twilight Agenda, who he also trained, in the Listed Silver Flash Stakes back at Leopardstown in a fortnight.

Weld trained the dam of his next winner - "must be a sign of age" - when Lady Shannon, a daughter of the Group winner Flowing, defied topweight and ran out a well backed winner of the May Handicap.

"I never worry about topweight in a sprint," Weld added, and he never had much to worry about once Kinane unleashed Lady Shannon, who also won this in 1997, past Record Entry and Magic Annemarie 150 yards from the line. "She loves fast ground and this is her league. She's in the Wokingham but won't run there," Weld said.

Kinane completed the treble on another well-backed favourite in Madam Lightfoot who took up the lead in the Regine Maiden early in the straight and had flown by the time the runner-up, Tarbaan, got fully into her stride.

Space Trucker returned from the jumps scene to impressively win the Sandyford Handicap and could bid to follow up at the Curragh on Saturday. "Literally, this is the first time in a year he has had his ground. I've always wanted to run him over 10 furlongs as he has so much speed," said trainer Jessica Harrington.

Scottish Song proved uncatchable in the concluding bumper and Shantarini was too strong for Northern Fancy in the closing stages of the handicap hurdle.