Brothers Diamond and Freddie Friday stars in contrasting styles

LITTER-brothers Bockos Diamond and March On Freddie dazzled in sharply contrasting styles to set the bar exceptionally high in Friday's opening session of the BoyleSports Irish Derby second round at Shelbourne Park.

Pride of place has to go to Graham Holland's Bockos Diamond, who was just four spots outside the track record when beating an also very impressive Tuono Charlie by a length and a half in heat seven, clocking 29.03sec in making all including a best-ever third bend sectional of 16.68sec.

Earlier, the David Mullins-trained March On Freddie had kept the UK flag flying courtesy of a tremendous display of trackcraft in heat three as he waited his moment then bravely dived inside to take command at the third bend on his way to a 29.53sec success.

With a dead-heat in the opener and top performances throughout, it was a truly memorable night in what is shaping up into an Irish Derby for the ages.

Rd 2 Ht 1 - Dht T1 Kapuka Warrior/T2 Toolmaker Curio, time 29.88sec

Round two began with a thriller as odds-on Kapuka Warrior rallied to force a dead-heat with outsider Toolmaker Curio. The favourite forced himself to the front rounding the first bend but Toolmaker Curio closed in rapidly approaching the third with the pair then jostling for position which allowed others to progress as well. Toolmaker Curio was just in front turning for home but Kapuka Warrior switched the outside and joined him again on the line to claim a share of the spoils in 29.88sec. Thats It Jack just pipped Syd Zafiro for third.

Rd 2 Ht 2 - 1st T3 Fairy Footsteps, winning time 30.26sec

A scrappy contest saw Fairy Footsteps in control when it mattered despite having been squeezed out initially at the first bend. General scrimmaging there saw Glitzy Magic go round ahead from Randolph Scotts but Fairy Footsteps found a lovely seam of racing room on the inside along the back straight and swept into the lead at the penultimate turn. She went on to hold a rallying Randolph Scotts by a length in 30.26sec with odds-on Dynamic Force, badly baulked at the first and then stopped in his run at the third, just a short-head back to ensure progress.

Rd 2 Ht 3 - 1st T6 March On Freddie, winning time 29.53sec

March On Freddie showed an entirely different side to his dominant first round brilliance but was hugely impressive all the same. David Mullins' UK raider turned third behind Droopys Metaphor and House Martin, who had a little coming together early in the back straight. Initially looking to the outside to deliver a challenge, March On Freddie intelligently and instinctively spotted an inside route at the third bend and flew through it. Ballyhimikin Leo, running a blinder at huge odds, followed him through and kept on well but came home two lengths adrift of the 29.53sec winner with House Martin five lengths back in third.

Rd 2 Ht 4 - 1st T2 Da Bold Falcon, winning time 29.39sec

Da Bold Falcon pounced late as he proved stronger than pacesetters Cheque For Cash and Untold Dollar who had gone clear into the the back straight. Untold Dollar attempted to challenge Cheque For Cash at the third bend but was forced to check and Da Bold Falcon seized his chance. Taking the shortest route off the final bend, he got inside Cheque For Cash, who swung off, and scored by a neck in 29.39sec with Untold Dollar two lengths back.

Rd 2 Ht 5 - 1st T4 Grangeclare Lady, winning time 29.43sec

One for the girls as Grangeview Lady quickly asserted then dug in late to hold off always handy Glengar Martha in a bitch one-two. The winning distance was a neck in 29.43sec with Hawkfield Blue flying home in third to force a three-way photo just a head back and a tiring Clona Duke eliminated in fourth having been second for much of the journey.

Rd 2 Ht 6 - 1st T5 Seven Beach, winning time 29.37sec

Seven Beach held a game Tarsna Maasai in a heat the duo had between them throughout. Tarsna Maasai broke just in front but Seven Beach capitalised on being drawn inside him to lead round the first bend and was always in charge from that point. The runner-up chased gallantly but Seven Beach followed up his narrow first round win in more comfortable style as he scored by two lengths in 29.37sec with Short Grip five and a half lengths back in third.

Rd 2 Ht 7 - 1st T6 Bockos Diamond, winning time 29.03sec

Bockos Diamond produced the run of the competition to date with a truly breathtaking effort. Former Irish Sprint Cup champion Carrick Aldo paced up well but that was only good enough to see him turn two lengths or so behind Graham Holland's star who proceeded to fly through the third bend sectional point in a best-ever 16.68sec, fully 11 spots quicker than the previous mark of former Holland inmate and 2020 Irish Derby champ Newinn Taylor. Some five lengths clear at that point, he did come back late on with champion stayer Tuono Charlie flying but prevailed by a length and a half in 29.03sec with Carrick Aldo a game, if shell-shocked, third.

Rd 2 Ht 8 - 1st T6 A Lucky Julie, winning time 29.54sec

The form of Oaks dead-heater A Lucky Julie had already been franked by her narrow first round conqueror Seven Beach winning in style and she proved strongest here. Outsider Denos Bay led up with Tribal Syd recovering from a moderate start to turn second but the writing was probably on the wall for the Tipperary Cup winner when he was unable to dominate. That is what transpired with A Lucky Julie loitering in midfield in the back straight then moving into third at the penultimate turn. Cleverly railing off the last, she collared Denos Bay close home to score by a length in 29.54sec with Undulation storming home to qualify after a troubled run.