Bocaccio followed up his Limerick victory earlier this month when coming out best in a thrilling finish to the 1m1f handicap at Leopardstown this evening.
Michael Grassick's charge just managed to fend off the attentions of dead-heaters Solid Gold and Royal South, who finished best of all, by a short-head.
'We took a chance dropping him in today, and Niall has given him a great ride,' said the trainer.
Musical Fusion, a gelded son of Sadler's Wells sporting blinkers for his debut, stayed on well to capture the 1m4f maiden.
'That was a good battling performance as he's quite a lazy colt,' said trainer Dermot Weld, who reported In Time's Eye in 'super form' ahead of his Irish Derby bid.
'He's improved a great deal since his last run, and it's now just a question of whether he's good enough. I expect a real good run if the weather stays dry,' he opined of his main candidate for Sunday's feature.
Frank Ennis may bring Rupununi out again quickly at the Curragh on Friday after the five year-old landed a major gamble in Div. 1 of the 1m6f QR maiden.
The Curragh handler will also consider a similar contest at Galway after his 1 1/2 length defeat of Pescetto Lady, with favourite The Baltimore Man back in third.
Div. 2 went in good style to Fernwood Lady, who came through under a very strong ride from Peter Casey to win going away, with favourite Sophronia (6/4-9/4-11/8f) well down the field.
Kilbride King, backed at bigger prices in the morning, was sent off 11/2 favourite for the 1m1f apprentice handicap and didn't let his supporters down.
Davy Condon brought the seven year-old with a sweeping run down the outside in the straight to score by a comfortable 1 1/2 lengths.
Turn Back Time appreciated the better ground when getting off the mark at the third time of asking in the opening 2yo fillies maiden, holding off favourite Jakarta Jade by 1 1/2 lengths.
Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning almost doubled up in the 7f handicap, but Capel Street was ultimately outbattled by Con Collins' Triple Gold, and went down by the minimum margin.
