Rebelline lands a pretty gamble

Rebelline set herself up for another crack at the double Classic winner Imagine in the Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks with a smooth success in Saturday's Hunston Financial Pretty Polly Stakes.

The Group Two contest saw a major gamble on the Kevin Prendergast-trained winner who was available at 9 to 2 in the morning but wound up a 2 to 1 favourite.

"I thought she would win because she has been working so well," Prendergast said and his confidence was justified to the tune of a 2-1/2 length defeat of the 20 to 1 outsider Molomo.

Rebelline was only fifth to the subsequent Epsom Oaks heroine Imagine in the Irish 1,000 Guineas but she was in season that day and her trainer is confident the mile and a half in the Oaks won't be a problem.

"Her brother, Quws, got a 1m 3f so she must have a good chance as long as there is cut in the ground. It made all the difference today and if we get the ground she likes, she will run in the Oaks," Prendergast added.

Chimes At Midnight provided a first pattern victory for his permit holding trainer Luke Comer when running out a two-length winner from Mediterranean in the Group Three Curragh Cup. The odds-on favourite, Quality Team, looking for a second successive win in the race, faded to last.

It was also a first pattern win for 29-year-old rider Wayne Smith, who picked up a two-day ban for his use of the whip, and the result renewed Comer's enthusiasm for the training game which he admitted had started to flag.

The property developer said: "I told a few friends I was thinking of giving up training but I feel an awful lot better now. Chimes At Midnight is a lot better horse than his form suggests and he is both the Eclipse and the King George."

Apprentice Tadhg O'Shea had a day to remember, landing both seven-furlong handicaps on Caumshinaun and Cool Cousin. The 19-year-old was praised by the latter's trainer Michael Halford who said: "He is making great progress and getting better by the week."

Caumshinaun's trainer Dermot Weld also picked up the mile and a quarter handicap with the Pat Smullen-ridden Diamond Trim while the Aidan O'Brien-Mick Kinane team also doubled up with Hidden Dragon and Hawkeye.

It might not be the Derby but as regards retaining his jockeys title is concerned a winner is a winner wherever it happens for Pat Smullen and Sligo's evening fixture can provide two of them.

The young champion travels to ride Camaderry for his retainer Dermot Weld in the sprint race and there will be nothing else in the race with more current form considering this one was denied by just a short head at the Curragh on Saturday.

Mick Kinane and John Murtagh have opened a slight gap on Smullen in the riders table but Markino can also help narrow it in the juvenile maiden.