Royal Ascot-winning team get punters off to the perfect start as curtain comes down on Killarney's year

The Royal Ascot-winning team of Joe Murphy and Gary Carroll combined to give punters the perfect start to the final fixture of the year at Killarney by winning the opening two maidens with a pair of favourites. 

Murphy and Carroll celebrated the biggest moment of their careers when Cercene landed the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot this summer at 33-1, and they were in red-hot form in County Kerry as Alphecca made it third time lucky in the opening two-year-old maiden over a mile. 

Lady Lilac completed the double on her ninth attempt in the mile maiden for older horses. She went off 2-9 and obliged in the manner most expected by five and a half lengths from Green Kite. 

Magic touch

Draiocht, who is named after the Irish word for magic, was beaten in 13 starts and had a rating of 39, but you could be forgiven for thinking there were magical powers at work as he won the mile maiden at 16-1. 

The five-year-old put his previous form behind him with a storming late surge under Killian Leonard and scored by half a length for trainer Thomond O'Mara. 

More joy for Julian

Julian Pietropaolo's Indian summer continued as the 17-year-old from Ballynoe in County Cork rode his seventh winner in the space of six weeks. He steered the Andrew Kinirons-trained Blue Moon Boy to victory in the 1m3f apprentice handicap. 

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