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Make Haste fuels Diego Dias' Royal Ascot dream after debut win at Naas

Naas racecourse saw a Queen Mary contender in action
Naas racecourse saw a Queen Mary contender in action

Brazil-born trainer Diego Dias is dreaming of Royal Ascot glory after Make Haste made an impressive winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Naas.

The daughter of Blue Point showed a smart turn of foot in the closing stages to score at 16-5 under Gavin Ryan, prevailing by three and a quarter lengths from 13-8 favourite Tommy McJohn.

Dias, who struck at Goodwood earlier this month with juvenile Brosay, said: "She is a quick filly and I was very impressed with her today.

"We thought a lot of her at home. Gavin said they could only take her to the three-furlong pole and after that, he just had to let her go.

"We didn't run her in the Curragh last week because of the soft ground and we thought she'd be better on this ground.

"We like to think she is a Queen Mary filly. We'll talk to the owners and see if she will run again before that."

At Lingfield, Ambiente Friendly put himself very much into the Epsom blue riband picture when running out an emphatic winner of the William Hill Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes.

Aidan O'Brien's Illinois was the 6-4 favourite and Ryan Moore had him at the head of affairs turning for home, with a wall of horses spread across the track in behind.

Despite hanging, the Irish raider saw off several challengers but he had no answer to Ambiente Friendly's sparkling turn of foot down the wide outside.

Callum Shepherd could afford to take it easy on the James Fanshawe-trained son of Gleneagles throughout the final furlong, but he still crossed the line four and a half lengths clear for an 8-1 triumph.

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