Realtra makes it another successful Varian raid

Hot on the heels of the victory of Nezwaah in Sunday's Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh, Newmarket trainer Roger Varian made another successful raid on Irish shores when the Colin Keane-ridden Realtra ran out a very convincing winner of the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse on Wednesday.

Keane had to sit and suffer for a few strides, but when a gap appeared on the inside of the Ralph Beckett-trained Golden Stunner in the final furlong, the daughter of Dark Angel quickened up through it and put the race to bed.

Her compatriot chased her home at a distance of a length and a quarter, with half a length back to the best of the home brigade, Raymonda and Asking, who dead-heated for third.

Keane said: "She travelled really easy. I thought I had got myself into a bit of a pocket, but the leader just came off the rail for a few strides and my filly picked up really well. The further she went the better she went."

Varian's assistant Sam Davis said: "She's a good mare and any black type she can pick up is a bonus. I would say she's possibly better than a Group 3 filly, she's won really well today. The ground came right for her today."

Aidan O'Brien's bid to land the only established Irish Group race to escape him so far came to nothing once again, his main hope Asking failing to get the run of the race.