Aidan O’Brien unveils another promising filly in Alphabet on the first meeting of the Flat season at Naas
O'Brien's filly sparkled on the first meeting of the Flat season at Naas and she looks likely to go onto bigger and better things this year as does O'Brien's Orderofthegarter
ALPHABET stole the show as the flat season kicked off at Naas on Sunday.
Now with Aidan O'Brien, Alphabet had been a promising juvenile with David Wachman last season.
Ana O'Brien sent the 7-1 shot clear at half way in the Weatherbys Maiden and she had them all well cooked a furlong out.
Aidan said: "She's fast, a lovely filly, David thought a lot of her.
"Obviously the hard work was done with her we only had to get her fit.
"She seems to handle any ground and could go up to Listed or Group level next.
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Aidan and daughter Ana doubled up with Orderofthegarter who won the concluding mile maiden by a street.
Prominent from the start the 11-4 chance pulled right away to beat Tommy Hallinan by eleven lengths.
Aidan said: "He had two nice runs last season including a second to Cliffs Of Moher, another one of ours that we like a lot.
"He'll step right up in grade now, maybe the 2,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown."
Mick Channon has a great strike rate with his Irish raiders and 8/1 fancy Czabo finished strongly for Graham Lee to beat O'Brien's Somehow by half a length in the Group 3 Park Express.
Michael Channon Jnr. said: "We had a recent race in France which might have given us an edge, but when I saw the way Aidan's filly won the maiden I feared the worst here!"
Brendan Brackan was a polished 16-1 winner of the Irish Lincoln to complete an opening day double for Ger Lyons.
He won snugly for Gary Carroll by a length and a half from Aussie Valentine - second in the race for the third year in a row - with the fellow Lyons trained Sea Wolf third.
Lyons said "He's a legend that horse, eight years old and as well as ever.
"We fancied Sea Wolf more, but maybe the ground didn't suit him.
"I've been inspired by Gordon Elliott this year, and I've learnt one thing from him - race the buggers!"
Earlier Lyons was on target with 12-1 shot Gymkhana who took the six furlongs handicap for Colin Keane.
Kevin Prendergast sent out the first winner of the season when Moonlight Bay finished fast for Chris Hayes on the stands side to beat 6-4 jolly Royal Diplomat.
The popular Curragh handler said: "She's a nice filly, stuck it out well and hopefully will improve from that."
Hayes was also on target when Gino Severini took the Madrid Handicap.
This was Fozzy Stack's first winner as trainer having taken over the license from his dad Tommy.
Fozzy said: "He did it well and stays, he could be a mile and a quarter horse.
"I thought he wanted fast ground, but has been working well lately on grass."