Review leopardstown 10th Aug

Aidan O'Brien trained the first two home in the Group Three Grenke Finance Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown, but it was his less-fancied runner Spanish Steps who prevailed.

Seamie Heffernan sent the 6-1 chance into the lead from the start and had built up a clear lead on the turn for home.

4-5 favourite and stablemate of the winner, Johannes Vermeer closed the gap in the final two furlongs, but Spanish Steps would not be denied and was half a length ahead at the line.

O'Brien made it a double when his son Donnacha guided Abyssinian (4-5 favourite) to victory in the Leopardstown Members Club Maiden.< Landshark produced a taking performance on debut to lead home a first and third for trainer Jessica Harrington in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Seemingly stuck in a pocket as the leaders battled it out a furlong from home, the 4-1 chance got some space under Colm O'Donoghue and flew home to beat Sappho by half a length, with stablemate Sneem third.

Espoir D'Soleil continued the Dermot Weld resurgence with an emphatic success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

The trainer had been struggling for winners until late last week but has hit a rich vein of form now, with the 5-2 favourite coming clear in the home straight under Pat Smullen and going on to score by a length and a half from Dochasach < Zeeyalater got off the mark at the 15th attempt in the AwardsandGifts.ie Handicap.

Sheila Lavery's 7-2 chance settled just behind the leaders early on, but responded well to Gary Carroll's urgings to get home a length and a quarter in front of Alfredo Arcano

Noel Dooly's 20-1 outsider Delaire got back to winning ways in the Sister Sledge Handicap under Denis Linehan, while Tony Martin added to his win at Sligo with victory in the Nick Coen Lifetime In Racing Handicap courtesy of Cassells Rock (12-1) under Shane Foley.