You can't say you weren't warned. At a media day last week Aidan O'Brien said of Causeway, 'he could be one for the Madrid Handicap at Naas. He could be a Paddington, he’s a big horse'.
Paddington, of course, won the Irish Racing Writers Association Madrid Handicap from a rating of 97 in 2023 before embarking on a Group 1 winning spree and all eyes will now be on Causeway to see if the Wootton Bassett colt can go on to earn himself a place in the breeding sheds.
Punters did take heed of O'Brien's words despite a slow start to the season for the Ballydoyle handler, sending Causeway off as the 13/8 favourite.
The twice-raced maiden winner was always handy under Ryan Moore who switched his mount across the track in the straight towards the far rail. Causeway had to be brave in the finish as he pulled clear along with former stablemate Controlled (33/1) but he put his head down where it mattered to win by a head.
Cotai Lights was two and a half lengths away in third.
The winning jockey told Racing TV: "You'd be very happy with what he's done today; he carried a big weight, seven furlongs would be on the tight side for him and he's the sort of horse who should progress, good attitude and he can only improve from today.
"He's got a long way to go before we talk about him like that [on comparisons with Paddington] but he's a big horse, lightly raced and he's only going to improve."
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O'Brien and Moore were completing a double on the card having earlier combined with Accredited (13/8) in the Space Traveller At Compas Stallions over seven furlongs.
A €1m purchase from the breeze-ups in 2025, Accredited only debuted for the stable at Dundalk in late October, finishing a close fourth under Ronan Whelan.
Slowly into stride under Moore on this occasion, Accredited made good progress through the ranks and stayed on strongly to win by two and a half lengths from 11/10 favourite Sindagan.
O'Brien said: "He'd done very well through the winter, very straightforward, laidback horse at home. We thought that he was ready to come racing, we thought he'd improve plenty. Tough ground out there, we weren't sure about that, but Ryan said better ground and he'd have no problem going up to a mile; couldn't be happier.
"He's a lovely mind. Even though he's a breeze-up horse we took our time with him. He'll go for a winners now and if that went well, he'll step into a stakes [race]."
Moore added: "He picked up really well. He was a little bit slow early on, travelled into the race nicely - little bit green - but he quickened up well and it was a smart performance. He done everything right today and he will improve a lot for the run."
Moore and O'Brien made it three for the day when Drop Dead Gorgeous (evens favourite) showed her rivals a clean pair of heels in the Aesop's Fables At Compas Stallions Irish EBF Fillies Maiden.
The newcomer ran on well to score by a length and a quarter from Fleur De Provence and is a half-sister to some top-class performers in Gleneagles, Happily and Marvellous among others.
Sky Bet introduced Drop Dead Gorgeous at 25/1 for the Betfred Oaks at Epsom Downs in June.
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Beset (11/4) led home a one-two for Joseph O'Brien in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Devoy Stakes.
Owned by a partnership that includes tv presenters Kevin Blake and Nick Luck, Beset raced on the front end under Declan McDonogh where they had Iowa City for company.
Having seen off the attentions of that rival, Beset only needed to be kept up to her work to win by three lengths from Lemsairbat who, in turn, finished two lengths clear of the remainder.
The winning rider said: "I think there's a bit left in her fitness-wise. She had a blow halfway up the straight and then got going again.
"It's not her bag in front but she gets away with it when the ground is soft like that, she had the gears but I didn't think she enjoyed it all the way round. Billy [Lee, jockey of Iowa City] was there annoying her a bit and she didn't enjoy that but she's very genuine, tries hard.
"With all the hold-up horses in it, I wasn't going to come middle of the track and open up the whole track to them so I was happy to stay on the fence and if they were good enough, they'd have to come through. If you can quicken on ground like that, it's hard for them to get you back.
"It looks like she grows a leg when conditions are like that so you'd be hoping for a soft summer but she could travel to Germany and do a Sir Mark Prescott and find those soft ground Group races over there. Kevin and Joseph will work that out with the boys."
O'Brien and McDonogh were also on the mark in the TRM Nutrition Best-Turned-Out Series Back For 2026 Race.
The pair combined with Hardy Warrior (13/8) who lived up to his name in the mile contest which has been won by pattern race performers Trinity College and Purple Lily in the past two years.
McDonogh led the three runners across to the stands' side rail and the Pinatubo colt, who was fourth in the Group 1 Criterium International on his final start at two, kept on dourly on the testing ground to win by four and a half lengths.
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