Ramruma duly completed the English/Irish Oaks double at the Curragh yesterday in one of those rare classic races that turned out exactly as predicted.
The 4 to 9 favourite took a tow from the pace-setting Blend Of Pace to the half mile pole and when released by Kieren Fallon, Ramruma scorched clear for an emphatic seven-length victory.
It was a first Irish classic for the Co Clare-born British champion jockey and deeply satisfying though it must have been, Fallon could hardly have been surprised.
"She felt stronger and better than she did at Epsom," he explained. "Mentally and physically she has come on. She was always going to win."
Aidan O'Brien's Sunspangled finished well enough on the good to firm ground to take second, a neck ahead of Sister Bella who was the only horse to make even a pretence of a challenge to the winner in the straight.
However, it was never likely to be enough to unsettle Ramruma's trainer Henry Cecil who was saddling his third Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks winner.
"I wasn't worried about the ground and she seems to be getting better. She could go for the Yorkshire Oaks and as I'm a bit of a traditionalist I would love to run her in the St Leger," Cecil said.
The owner, Prince Fahd Salman, seemed to give the green light to that when quipping: "As an owner I feel like the leader of a shadow government so I will leave the decisions to the Prime Minister! I missed her winning at Epsom and despite her odds, I can't really believe this."
Knights Baroness won this race for Salman in 1990 and he also owned Generous who won the Derby the following year.
"Never really going," was apprentice Declan McDonogh's verdict on the supplementary entry Polaire who faded to second last. McDonogh afterwards got a two-day ban for dropping his hands on Polaire and losing fifth place.
Sister Bella's rider John Murtagh reported: "I thought turning in I had a chance but Kieren's horse quickend away. She has run a great race."
Aidan O'Brien saddled two more odds-on two-year-old winners but both won with less than total authority. Despite shying from a spectator after two furlongs of the Anglesey Stakes, Rossini looked to be travelling much the best at the furlong pole only to be pushed out to beat Still Going On by a length and a half.
"Michael (Kinane) said he was lucky to stay on him when the spectator ran towards the rail and that he would be much better with a lead. Rossini is in the Prix Robert Papin," said O'Brien.
The 2.2 million guineas purchase Shakespeare only got home by a head from It Happens Now on his debut in the Glengarriff Maiden but O'Brien explained: "Michael was very gentle with him and the other horse has solid form."
Dermot Weld was also on the mark more than once. Carol Durkan guided Halcyon to victory in the Ladies Derby while the Curragh trainer had the first two home in the Rockingham with Timote and Pat Smullen beating Pharmacist.
Ramruma's Kildangan Irish Oaks success has seen her installed 4 to 1 favourite for the Rothmans Royals St Leger by Coral who today opened ante post betting on September's Doncaster Classic. Daliapour is next best at 8 to 1, with Noushkey a 10 to 1 chance.
