Among the highlights of any flat season is the first clash between the Epsom Derby winner and his elders and Golden Horn certainly lived up to expectations in the Eclipse Stakes last Saturday. The John Gosden-trained colt was imperious at Epsom and was just as good in the Eclipse where he decisively accounted for The Grey Gatsby.

The Eclipse may only have attracted five runners but The Grey Gatsby represented a leading light of the older generation and the manner in which Golden Horn dealt with his stern challenge was pleasing. Gosden’s charge is shaping up to be a top-notch Derby winner, which seemed unthinkable given the apparent threadbare nature of the three-year-old colt middle-distance division only a couple of months ago.

Fairyhouse

On the domestic front, the best action of the week came from Fairyhouse on Sunday where Ainippe took centre stage for her victory in the Group 3 Brownstown Stakes. This was a second pattern race triumph for the Ger Lyons-trained filly, who had landed the Ballyogan Stakes at the Curragh last month. In making her first try over seven furlongs a winning one, the daughter of Captain Rio has opened up a whole host of options for the rest of the season and she had already had Lyons looking forward to campaigning her as a four-year-old.

The first mile maiden of the season for two-year-olds can often be quite an interesting event and this year’s edition went to a likeable type in Jim Bolger’s Turret Rocks.

This daughter of Fastnet Rock produced a nice display and looked as though she could improve a good deal for this initial racecourse outing. She could be a contender in some quality fillies’ races later in the season and it is worth bearing in mind that the last two winners of this race both went on to strike at stakes level.

Two tracks and seven winnerS for on-form Gordon Elliott

Following a superb across-the-card seven-timer at Perth and Bellewstown last Thursday, which maintained his blistering start to the new National Hunt season, Gordon Elliott was the star turn from last week’s action. Elliott enjoyed a truly memorable 2014/’15 campaign and could be set to post an even better tally by next May given the manner in which his summer team have been carrying all before them. Since the new season got under way, his string have been in tremendous shape and that climaxed in an incredible few hours last Thursday where he sent out a four-timer at Perth in Scotland before then reeling off a treble at Bellewstown.

In sending out seven winners in one day, Elliott reached a milestone that belongs to only a select few trainers. At his curent rate of progress, a century of winners in Ireland for this season looks a very realistic tally for a trainer whose young claiming jockey Jack Kennedy has made a striking impact since having his first ride only a couple of months ago.