The Ascot Gold Cup winner Enzeli got turned over at 4 to 7 in last night's Saval Beg Stakes, and while English trainer Mark Johnston was understandably thrilled with the winner, Royal Rebel, the Aga Khan and John Oxx weren't exactly downcast either.

Enzeli was under pressure a full three furlongs out as stable companion Katiykha made the running, but the favourite took it up a furlong out and only gave away the advantage in the last stride.

"I was quite prepared to see him beaten as he's such a lazy horse at home," said Oxx, who immediately nominated a return journey to the Gold Cup for Enzeli. "He was pretty fit but it's hard to get work into him that counts and this was a better race than last year's."

Royal Rebel is not in the Ascot Gold Cup and will instead return to Ireland for the Curragh Cup on Derby weekend but Johnston was just pleased to see his horse come back to form.

"He ran very flat at Ascot and this was a big gamble coming all this way so I'm very relieved," Johnston said. "But he won over the course and distance before, he had his ground and he had the blinkers on. Everything was right for him and Mick (Kinane) gave him a great ride."

Kinane had earlier won on the 120,000 guineas newcomer Little Firefly and trainer Aidan O'Brien made no secret of the filly.

"She's in the Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot but she's a longterm filly, maybe one for the Moyglare," O'Brien said. "She's a smashing type and did it well considering she was in the stalls for 10 minutes and fell asleep in there."

The champion trainer indicated that Bach would miss this weekend's Entenmann's-sponsored Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, as he will instead be going to France on Sunday week for the Prix Jean Prat on the French Derby card.

Miracle Ridge continued Curragh trainer Jim Gorman's sparkling start to the season with an ultra-smooth victory in the May Handicap but there was nothing smooth about the scrimmaging behind that resulted in the positions of King Of Russia and Jay And-A being reversed by the stewards.

Wayne Lordan won on just his second ride for Jim Bolger when Consalvo edged out the Kinaneridden favourite Experimental in the Sandyford Handicap while Charles O'Brien had his first winner of the season with Montecastillo edging out the unlucky McDab in the Regine Maiden.