Leopardstown round-up: Diego Velazquez wins Solonaway Stakes

Diego Velazquez justified 10-11 favouritism to score on Leopardstown's Irish Champions Festival card for the second year running, winning the Tonybet Solonaway Stakes this time around.

Aidan O'Brien’s Frankel colt won the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes 12 months ago and proved a decisive winner of this Group Two event in the hands of Ryan Moore.

""He’s a lovely, straightforward, genuine horse," said O’Brien.

"He has pace enough for a mile and will probably get a mile and a quarter. He’s a lovely relaxed, uncomplicated horse.

"Christophe (Soumillon) rode him (in the French Guineas) and said 'this horse is going to win a Group One very quick’ after it.

"Then it just went a little bit wrong on us. We went to the French Derby, and it was the wrong thing as it was too quick. Then I went up to a mile and a half at Ascot, which was the wrong thing as well.

Green Impact backed up the promise of his previous victory over Delacroix to scoop the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes.

Jessica Harrington's son of Wootton Bassett is the first colt to be bred by owner Marc Chan and after a narrow defeat at the Curragh on debut, accounted for Aidan O’Brien’s Delacroix on his second start.

With only four heading to post for the Group Two event, it was O’Brien’s Bernard Shaw who led the quartet along with Green Impact settled in second.

He was asked to win his race entering the straight by Shane Foley, working his way past the Ballydoyle inmate and then showing a game attitude to confirm superiority over the fast-finishing Delacroix by half a length, who was sent off the 5-6 favourite.

Harrington is already dreaming of a trip to Epsom and a tilt at the Derby.

"It’s lovely to get one on the board for this weekend because it’s very tough and very competitive