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Duntle does the business in Desmond Stakes

DUNTLE, making her first appearance since landing the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, overcame unsuitably soft ground to land the Group 3 Desmond Stakes on a good night for trainer David Wachman and jockey Wayne Lordan.

The Niarchos family's filly landed the 1m event by three-quarters-of-a-length from Ballybacka Lady and afterwards Lordan heaped praise on the daughter of Danehill Dancer.

He said: "She struggled a bit in the ground early on but conditions are better for the last two furlongs and when she met the rising ground she picked up well.

"It was a good effort considering the ground as she prefers it a lot better."

Duntle was sent off the 5-2 second favourite behind market leader Takar who trailed in last  of the eight runners. Jockey Niall McCullagh reported that the colt had lost his action and it transpired that the John Oxx-trained three year old had been struck into.

The Desmond Stakes winner was completing a double for Wachman and Lordan following the seven length debut win of 8-1 shot Galileo Rock in the 1m two year old maiden.

The margin of Galileo Rock's win was helped by runner-up Hall Of Mirrors hanging badly right from under two furlongs out despite Joseph O'Brien's best effort to keep the favourite straight.

Lordan said of the three-parts brother to Saddler's Rock: "He's a nice colt and had been showing us a bit at home. He is still quite babyish and we were a bit worried about the ground but when the penny dropped he went and did the job well."