Noel Meade's roll of the dice with Caught U Sleeping pays off in Oaks Trial while Ballydoyle unveils two juvenile contenders for Royal Ascot

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It proved an inspired move from Noel Meade to step Caught U Sleeping up in trip just five days after her last run when she produced a strong staying performance to win the Listed Darley Naas Oaks Trial by three-quarters of a length.

The Cotai Glory filly landed her maiden over seven furlongs at this track last year before finishing a good third behind Diamond Necklace in a Listed event at Leopardstown over the same trip.

She was stepped up to a mile at the Curragh last Monday when she was beaten five lengths into eighth by Kensington Lane. Meade was keen to step her up to a mile and a quarter and decided it was better to do it sooner rather than later and it paid off in style when the 11-1 chance showed plenty of grit under Colin Keane to fend off La Fogata, with a further two and three-quarter lengths back to the favourite Eretria.

"Tony O'Callaghan owns most of her with Tony Clarke," said Meade. "Last Monday I told Tony I was nearly thinking of running her the following Saturday instead as I think a mile is too short for her, even though she's by Cotai Glory. He said to go and run her if I wanted, so there you go.

"Colin said she'd get a mile and a half. She's short of a gear but she keeps going and can keep up a good gallop. When Oisin [Murphy] rode her at Leopardstown over a mile, he said the ground was too slow for her but that she was climbing. The reason was when he asked her to go, she was trying to go quicker than she could."

Ballydoyle juveniles enter Royal Ascot picture

It has been a phenomenal week even by Ballydoyle standards with Aidan O'Brien-trained three-year-olds dominating the Classic trials in Britain, and Wayne Lordan guided a double home for the stable, both of whom could be bound for Royal Ascot next month.

Carry The Flag went off 30-100 favourite in the opening 5f maiden and made his supporters sweat as he took a long time to overhaul 80-1 chance Abletai, but he eventually wore him down in the final strides to prevail by a head, while stablemate Sun Goddess flew home to dead-heat for second under Jack Cleary.

"He had a lovely run the first day on very different ground," said stable representative Chris Armstrong. "It's probably the quickest ground he's ever been on even at home and Wayne felt just couldn't get full traction, he was just rolling around. When the other filly came on his outside, it really helped him. 

"He's put himself in the Ascot mix now and we'll see how he progresses and where he fits in. Jack's filly [Sun Goddess] is a lovely filly too. We'll try and get one more run into her and hopefully she turns into an Ascot filly too."

Confucius (Wayne Lordan) lands the odds in the 6f maiden Credit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Confucius also obliged at long odds-on when making all in the 6f maiden, beating Alaskan Bear by three and three-quarter lengths.

The 1-5 favourite seemed to relish the step up to 6f after finishing runner-up over 5f at the Curragh on his debut last month. By No Nay Never and out of the Cheveley Park winner Millisle, the future looks bright and the Coventry could be next.

"He had a lovely run the first day and Ryan [Moore] liked him," said Armstrong. "Wayne loved him there. He has a very good temperament and when he asked him, he really stretched out and the most impressive part was going out through the line. He looks a ready-made Ascot two-year-old. I'd say he's probably one for the Coventry now.

Pope seals big pot

Chicago Pope made it two wins from as many visits to Naas when showing plenty of guts to land the €50,000 6f handicap under Ben Coen, keeping on dourly to maintain a half-length advantage over Tahcawin.

The 5-1 shot won his maiden over course and distance in October and was defying a mark of 85 on his handicap debut.

"It's a nice pot to win," said trainer Johnny Murtagh. "We're delighted and Ben thinks a stiff six is a good trip for him so we'll probably keep him to that kind of thing."

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