The 12 to 1 outsider Polaire earned herself a crack at the Irish Oaks in two weeks' time when just getting up to beat the English filly Lady In Waiting in Saturday's Independent Pretty Polly Stakes.

A first Group race winner for 19-year-old apprentice Declan McDonogh, who was unable to claim his 3lb allowance, Polaire looked set for a minor role as Lady In Waiting and Godolphin's Calando indulged in a prolonged dual up the straight.

However just as Gerald Mosse on Lady In Waiting got the best of that argument, McDonogh conjured a late run out of Polaire who just got the nod on the line. However the closeness of the call can be gauged by the length of time it took the judge to split them and Mosse's reaction when he did - the Frenchman was sure he had held on.

It was a 61st career success for McDonogh, the son of Monksfield's trainer Des, and even a subsequent two-day whip ban couldn't disguise his delight.

"I will miss Roscommon and Leopardstown, but it will be worth it!," McDonogh said.

Polaire's trainer Kevin Prendergast had earlier landed the Bloxham Handicap with another outsider in Rainbows Forever, but there were a couple of landmark victories on the card.

The top American rider Gary Stevens had his first winner in Ireland at the third attempt when gave he Maridpour a perfect waiting-in-front ride to take the IAWS Curragh Cup from Yeoman's Point.

In the first race though, the newly-knighted Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson saw his colours carried to victory for the first time in Ireland on the Aidan O'Brien-trained newcomer Heritage Hall.

The Ballydoyle two-year-old was taken on in the market by Lindissima, but that was closer than it was taken on in the race with Michael Kinane shooting Heritage Hall six lengths clear in the last furlong.