Review LEOPARDSTOWN 14-JUN-2000

The impressive Curragh winner Darwin is unlikely to be among Aidan O'Brien's team for next week's Royal Ascot meeting. Another absentee will be Beckett, who opened his account at the first time of asking in the European Breeders Fund Maiden at Leopardstown last evening.

Both horses will be kept in reserve for future events at home, with Beckett already earmarked for the Railway Stakes at the Curragh on Derby weekend.

Although not as impressive as many of the stable's juvenile winners this year, Beckett did little wrong as he readily accounted for the more experienced America Calling, winning by a length and a half at odds of 2 to 5 favourite.

'Michael said that he would love to get a lead. He is a very mature horse and his jockey is quite happy with him', said O'Brien, who will work his Ascot horses next Friday morning.

Tumbleweed Ridge ran out the winner of the Group Three Ballycorus Stakes for the third successive year, Brian Meehan's seven year old making all the running to score by three lengths from the O'Brien-trained Bashkir.

The comfortable winner, a well supported 5 to 4 favourite, will now bid for the Prix de la Port Maillot at Longchamp later this month, a race he also won twelve months ago.

Curragh based Frank Ennis captured the biggest prize of his training career when Annieirwin, the outsider of the field, landed the Listed Glencairn Stakes.

The unconsidered 14 to 1 shot came from off the pace to pip evens favourite Free To Speak close home. He edged left inside the final furlong and survived the subsequent Steward's enquiry.

Ennis said,'She is well bred and her owners want to breed from her. I have no idea as to where she will go now'.

Suspended Pat Smullen missed out on a winner when Quality Team took the Fiacla EBF Race for Dermot Weld. As he has done so many times in the past, Pat Shanahan proved an able deputy and brought the 11 to 2 winner home clear of Dutch Harrier, with odds-on favourite Korasoun only fifth.

Jacks Estate gave Derby winner Johnny Murtagh his first win since Epsom when coming out best in a blanket finish to the Huggies Handicap, while 17 year old Liam Keniry rode the first winner of his career on John Quinn's Port Lush in the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap.