Jim Bolger's progressive colt Light Heavy took another step towards an Irish Derby challenge when he came out best in a tight finish to the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown.
Winner of the Ballysax Stakes last month, the son of Teofilo was sent up to challenge the pacesetting Tower Rock in the final quarter-mile by Kevin Manning.
The leader refused to knuckle under, however, and a titanic struggle ensued until Light Heavy (15-8) just asserted with the post looming, taking the prize by a neck. The odds-on Wrote was a disappointing third.
Bolger doubled up when Whipless (3-1), who held a big lead in mid-race, kept up the gallop under Ronan Whelan to take the Horse Racing Ireland Pensioners Handicap by a length and a quarter.
It was plain sailing for Dermot Weld's prolific winner Famous Name as the 1-5 favourite hoovered up yet another Group Three contest - his ninth in all - when he completed a hat-trick of Amethyst Stakes victories.
Pat Smullen sat in third before easing to the front a quarter of a mile out and Famous Name stretched well clear to win by four and a half lengths from Sweet Lightning He was landing his 11th victory at the track.
Weld and Smullen picked off another good prize when Yellow Rosebud who had high-class form as a juvenile, took the Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial on her return to action.
Runner-up to Maybe in the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh last season, the filly (13-2) collared Duntle coming down the straight and ran on strongly to hold the late-charging Devotion by a length.
The trainer and jockey completed a treble when Show Court (5-2) ran away with the Live At Leopardstown Maiden.
There was plenty of suport for David Wachman's newcomer Cougar Ridge (11-10 favourite) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction Maiden and he obliged in emphatic style, sweeping into the lead under Billy Lee a furlong out and scoring by two and three-quarter lengths.
