Navan review: Order Of St George wins on return
Order Of St George made light work of his two rivals when landing the Group Three Vintage Crop Stakes on his seasonal reappearance at Navan on Sunday.
The three-time Group One winner was sent off the 2/9 favourite to see off Lord Yeats and Clongowes and he was pushed out under hands and heels riding from Ryan Moore to win going away by five lengths.
Beaten at odds-on in this race last year by Torcedor, there will have been a brief moment of concern for favourite backers when he was asked to go and catch long-time leader Lord Yeats.
However, he responded well to Moore's pressure, ensuring there was to be no upset this time around.
O'Brien said "I'm delighted with him, and hopefully he'll go for the Saval Beg (at Leopardstown on May 25) which is what we usually do and then on to Ascot.
"He finishes out very well when he gets into his tempo, and he gallops up the hill. Ryan said he was very relaxed and moved very well. They would be the two things that you would love to hear.
"We were looking forward to getting him started, he was well ready to start and will hopefully progress on to the next one. He was in a nice place."
O'Brien taken with Perfect filly
So Perfect could be Royal Ascot-bound after getting up in the dying strides to make a winning debut in the Tara Sires Irish EBF Fillies Maiden at Navan.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained daughter of Scat Daddy had plenty to do at the furling pole, but she responded well to Ryan Moore's drive once getting a clear run on the outside to put her head in front on the line.
The 4/1 shot collared Mater Matuta by a short head, with Silver Service three-quarters of a length away in third.
O'Brien said: "We're delighted with that for a first run. We were worried about the ground and experience, but she is obviously a very nice filly. She is a big, powerful filly.
"I'd say she is an Ascot filly and could run over five or six (furlongs). She could run at Naas (in the Listed Juvenile Fillies Sprint over six furlongs on May 20) for some more experience."
Right Royal result for McCreery
Mary Tudor put up an emphatic performance to open her account in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes at Navan.
The Godolphin-owned filly had been Group-placed as a juvenile and made the ideal start to her three-year-old campaign as she ran out a ready winner on the step up to a mile and a quarter.
Billy Lee's mount quickened well a furlong out and went on to score by two and a half lengths from Dermot Weld's newcomer Hazel Bay, who shaped with great promise. Princess Yaiza was a further half a length back in third.
The winner is set to drop down to a mile for her next start, with trainer Willie McCreery keen to let the daughter of Dawn Approach take her chance in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas on May 27.
McCreery said: "She's a lovely mare and has shown that form last year. She settled and did it well. She should get a mile and a half in time and we might go straight to the (Irish) Guineas now.
"I wanted to get her out to see where we are going with her. The ground dried up enough for her and that was the only thing I'd be a bit worried about - se wouldn't want it any worse than that.
"I loved the way she quickened there when she saw the rising ground. She really put the head down, and it's good that she is holding her form and improving a little bit."
The Broghie Man hangs on
The Broghie Man hung on grimly to spring a surprise in the Listed Committed Stakes at Navan.
Top French jockey Gerald Mosse - having his first ride at the track - was at his strongest to get the Adrian Keatley-trained three-year-old home by a short head from the closing Speak In Colours.
Brick By Brick made the running until a furlong from home in the five-and-a-half-furlong affair, where The Broghie Man (10/1) made his decisive move to lift the prize. The two protagonists drew five lengths clear of Fleet Review in third.
Different League, a Royal Ascot winner last year when trained in France by Matthieu Palussiere, never got into a challenging position on his first start for Aidan O'Brien, despite being sent off the the 5/4 favourite, and trailed in fifth.
Keatley said of his winner: "It's good to get that job done and hopefully we'll head to Naas next for the Lacken (on May 20). There is nothing really for him over five, so we'll go to Naas next and see what happens.
"Gerald was over last weekend riding work for the owner of London Icon (Simon Kwok) who is good friends with him in Hong Kong. It's good to get him as he has a wealth of knowledge and we are lucky to have him when we can.
"Hopefully if he can step up again then long term it might be the Commonwealth Cup (at Royal Ascot), but he'll have to go Group Three next and see where we go from there. He loves that ground and that will have to be in his favour as well."