What had been a testing and somewhat bizarre week for Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners last week ended on a much brighter note when St Mark’s Basilica led home Wembley in a Ballydoyle one-two in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

Seven days earlier, O’Brien had to withdraw all of his horses from the Arc day card at ParisLongchamp, including the aforementioned two, after it had emerged that there were traces of zilpaterol found in feed supplied to Ballydoyle by Gain equine nutrition.

Last Friday, the stable also had an embarrassing episode when the two fillies they had contesting the Fillies Mile, Snowfall and Mother Earth, were saddled incorrectly by O’Brien’s team in Newmarket. That led to Snowfall’s booked rider James Doyle riding Mother Earth and vice versa for William Buick on Snowfall. Mother Earth actually finished third and Snowfall eighth but both fillies will likely be disqualified pending an enquiry.

St Mark’s Basilica was ridden by Frankie Dettori and had just about enough to see off his stablemate, who was a little unlucky under Ryan Moore. The pair finished ahead of Thunder Moon, the colt trained by Joseph O’Brien who had beaten both in the National Stakes at the Curragh.

Joseph did manage to emerge best in the eventful Fillies Mile, in which his Pretty Gorgeous got back to winning ways. This was a first Group 1 winner for apprentice Shane Crosse, who had been denied the chance to ride the St Leger winner Galileo Chrome when he tested positive for Covid-19 on his way over to Doncaster.

Elsewhere Gordon Elliott’s Aforementioned took the Ladbrokes JT McNamara Munster National at Limerick on Sunday. The six-year-old, ridden by Gavin Brouder, was another big handicap chase winner for Gigginstown. Michael O’Leary’s operation is well into its scale-down period but still has a significant number of quality horses at its disposal.

However, both Davy Russell and Jack Kennedy will be unavailable to ride such talent for at least a few weeks after suffering injuries at Limerick, meaning Keith Donoghue will have opportunities in the early season big races.