Highlight for 5-in-a-row Soprano

Midnight Soprano reached the high-point to date of her progressive career as she successfully graduated to Listed company in the Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown to make it five wins on the bounce.

This developed into a three-pronged tussle from the quarter mile pole as pace-setter Eternal Heart began to wilt and Paul Deegan's winner kept on best to beat Saddler's Rock (most satisfactory return to action) and Unaccompanied by half a length and a length.

Owned and bred by Jim Monaghan, Midnight Soprano understandably delighted Deegan who enthused: "She's a special mare and we don't know how good she is yet.

"We were very worried about the ground as she really loved the fast ground at the Curragh.

"She's got a bit of class though and she's really improving. The plan after the Curragh was to go for the Noblesse but this looked like it might cut up so we came here.

"We might change again and go on for the Martin Molony (at Limerick on June 22nd).

"She's the same as her sister (Celtic Soprano) in that they are both light-framed and keep developing.

"We don't do anything with her at home, she does three or four pieces in the year – the less I do the more she improves and strengthens.

"They are all real natural athletes." (GC & EM)