Empowering led nearly all the way to take the Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial and give the O'Brien family a famous victory.
Ridden by co-champion apprentice Joseph O'Brien, the heavily backed filly (11-2) was trained at Ballydoyle by his father Aidan and owned by his mother Anne-Marie.
The young jockey eased her across from her wide draw early on and she had no trouble holding on to a handy lead from the home turn, beating stablemate Wild Wind by a length and three-quarters. The Newmarket 1000 Guineas is on her agenda.< Dunboyne Express returned to action with a simple victory in the 2000 Guineas Trial, but it wasn't much of a contest after the withdrawal of market rival Cocozza, who refused to stand up in the stalls.
The Kevin Prendergast-trained winner (5-4 favourite, though with a 40p deduction in the pound) sat last of three under Declan McDonogh and quickened into the lead 200 yards out before scoring by a length and three-quarters.
Prendergast completed a double when Celtic Dane (14-1) nailed the gutsy Gimli's Rock right on the line for a short head victory under Samantha Bell in the Follow Leopardstown On Facebook Handicap.
The partnership of John Oxx and Johnny Murtagh, out of luck with Cocozza, struck for the first time when newcomer Mesariya took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden in the colours of the Aga Khan.< Wonder Of Wonders went off the hot favourite but got into all sorts of trouble as Classic entry Mesariya (6-1) made smooth progress down the outside to hit the front 100 yards out for victory by a length and a quarter.
Oxx, Murtagh and the Aga Khan doubled up when Haziyna (9-2) swept clear two furlongs out and ran away with the Leopardstown Family Fun Racedays Handicap, winning eased down by three and a half lengths.
Andy Oliver's consistent West Coast Dream (7-1) got off the mark in the Leopardstown Music Nights Handicap, leading all the way under Ben Curtis and battling on to score by three-quarters of a length.
