Ballydoyle’s dominance of Group races be it in Ireland or England could not have been more evident than at the Curragh as Halfway To Heaven makes all the running in the hands of Seamus Heffernan to win the Irish 1000 Guineas. Hitting the lids, the daughter of that world class sire Pivotal controlled the gallop and although collared nearing the line by the 66/1 shot Tuscan Evening, who was demoted to fourth having hung all over the eventual fourth past the post Carribean Sunset and Mad About You, the 3 yr old filly found enough in reserves to see her win by a head, neck and a head.

That win came on the back of yet another Group 1 success as Duke Of Marmalade saw off the filly Finsceal Bio to win the Tattersalls Gold Cup, his second Group 1 win of the 2008 campaign and yet another big race success for Johnny Murtagh.

Aidan O’Brien made it a clean sweep of the Group races when Hebridean came from near last to pulverise his rivals in the Group 3 Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes.

One of the feature races of the day at Newmarket was won in emphatic style by the very progressive Bronze Cannon. Sent off at 4/9 he always travelled the best in the more than capable hands of Jimmy Fortune where as in the following race Ajigolo sprang an absolute shocker at 25/1, not showing any real worthwhile form coming into the race he turned what looked a competitive sprint handicap into a one horse affair, quickening clear of the pack headed by Express Wish.

Classic Descent looked the type to go on as he canters all over the opposition to break his maiden, as does the filly Temple of Thebes who built on her maiden win with a solid victory over Nice wee Girl.