Racing Leopardstown reportAbigail Pett provided her jockey Kevin Manning with a smooth last-to-first victory in the YPO Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown last night.

The Jim Bolger-trained filly missed the break and had to challenge wide in the straight but neither problem made any difference as she powered to a length defeat of Romantic Notion in impressive fashion.

Last night's Listed contest has been a stepping stone to even better things for some good fillies in the past, including Bolger's former Phoenix Stakes winner Eva Luna.

The trainer could also have Group One ambitions for Abigail Pett who actually features among the entries for a nursery at the Curragh over the weekend.

"I don't think we'll go there now," said Bolger. "She is pretty useful and entitled to go where she wants. She may stick to six furlongs for the time being."

Just half an hour earlier, Manning attempted similar last-to-first tactics on the well-backed favourite for the Premier Handicap, Tropical Lady, only for that filly to come up a neck short of the winner Definate Spectacle.

Unlike her stable companion Tropical Lady didn't miss the break, but she did have to come widest of all in the straight after having only one behind her on the turn-in.

By the time of the mile maiden, Manning had had enough of the waiting tactics and he dominated from the front on Irish Question who holds an entry in Sunday's Darley Irish Oaks.

Irish Question had a length in hand of the odds-on favourite Qassas who was being ridden along before the straight and only managed to stay on at one pace.

The Epsom Derby ninth Grand Central duly landed the four-runner conditions race at odds-on for Aidan O'Brien and Seamus Heffernan, holding off Velentina Guest and Multazem.

However, the latter's trainer, Dermot Weld, had earlier hit the score sheet in the claimer with Oversighted who made all under Pat Smullen to beat Jemmy John.

"He's rated 90 and has been very consistent, although not winning for two years," said Weld. Oversighted's claiming price was €40,000 but there were no takers.

Weld also had news of a change in plan for his trans-Atlantic raider Merger who has been re-routed from Saturday night's Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs to the American Derby at Arlington Park on Saturday week.

Pine Dance and Simple Exchange are past Weld-trained winners of the Chicago Grade Two and Merger will be partnered by the leading American jockey Ramon Dominguez.

"There were a number of reasons for not running in Virginia. Jerry Bailey was supposed to ride our horse, but he has been claimed by Bobby Frankel to ride Rebel Rebel who was second in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Rebel Rebel was a late entry so we looked again at the race and decided to re-route.

"It was a 16 hour box ride but Merger is in Chicago now and is in good form," Weld said.

Orpington completed a double for Weld and Smullen when landing the odds in the Listed Challenge Stakes. After overhauling the pacesetting Virginia Woolf a furlong out, Orpington was all out to hold Dashing Home's late challenge by a length and a half.

Trainer Michael Halford was singing the praises of 16-year-old apprentice Emmet Butterly after the jockey won the first race of his career on the topweight Man Of Aran in the opener.

"He's only had four rides and the first of them was at Wexford last Friday. He's a very good rider. He is as good an apprentice as we've had," said Halford who has also overseen the careers of Tadhg O'Shea and Rory Cleary.

Butterly, from Trim, lived up to his billing too as Man Of Aran was always holding Coral Dawn and Hillhall in the closing stages.