WEST Ilsley trainer Mick Channon hailed Opal Tiara’s victory over Hydrangea in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh as “a great way to bow out” for the mare.

Sent off at 10-1 for the mile contest, the five-year-old was running her last race as she is in foal to Churchill.

And the daughter of Thousand Words went out in a blaze of glory as Ronan Whelan brought her with a storming run to claim the €70,800 first prize by a length and three-quarters from Aidan O’Brien’s Group 1 winner.

Channon, who was at Goodwood, commented: “Everything she’s done since hosing up as a two-year-old at Wolverhampton had her down as a talent who would take us places and that was the icing on the cake.

“A job well done by everyone and it would seem that is the end of her race career, but it’s a great way to bow out.”

Opal Tiara won six of her 28 races, earning £373,226 in prize-money.

Blewbury trainer Eve Johnson Houghton believes there’s plenty more to come from Magnolia Springs after the filly landed the netbet.co.uk Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood.

Relishing the step up to a mile and a quarter after finishing fourth at Nottingham on her reappearance, the daughter of Shamardal bounded clear to take the Listed contest.

Johnson Houghton said: “I was thrilled that she’s learning to race properly. We could go anywhere with her now. I think she is only going to improve.”

East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison landed a brace of across-the-card doubles.

Robert Winston piloted 10-1 shot Bella Ragazza to victory in a seven-furlong fillies’ novice stakes at Goodwood, before Pippin completed a 186-1 double by springing a 16-1 surprise in a mile-and-a-half handicap at Salisbury.

Three days earlier, Sister Sibyl (5-2 joint favourite) won over jumps at Warwick and Buzz (12-1) scored on the Flat at Kempton at combined odds of 44-1.

Back at Salisbury, Compton trainer Geoffrey Deacon recorded his first winner for 326 days when Picket Line caused a 25-1 upset in a six-furlong handicap, with Trevor Whelan on board.

Dashing Poet came up trumps at Haydock for Heather Main’s Kingston Lisle stables, while Sparsholt trainer Harry Whittington sent out Genius to make a winning debut at Southwell.