Irish jockey Colin Keane sealed a superb 24 hours when landing Thursday’s Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks on Kalpana for his Juddmonte employers and trainer Andrew Balding.Having hit the front on Item for the same connections in the final stride of the previous day’s International, this time Keane was left desperately clinging to the lead as Jim Bolger’s outsider Sparan Nua failed by an agonising short head to run down the 10-11 favourite.That Kalpana dug out a fourth Group One success underlined her quality. Keane was in an invidious position throughout due to Aidan O’Brien’s pacemaker Sugar Island cutting out a frantic pace that left her massively clear early in the straight.With all eyes on him, the opposition left it to Keane to try to run down Sugar Island. When he eventually made his move, it briefly looked like it would be straightforward. But after hitting the front, Kalpana wandered on the easy ground and ultimately was all out to win. O’Brien’s 2025 winner Minnie Hauk was a distant third.Keane’s relief was obvious after a muddling tactical affair that saw the winner emulate another top Juddmonte mare, Enable, who twice pulled off a King George-Yorkshire Oaks double. She also was a double Arc winner, and Kalpana has Paris in October on her potential dance card.“It was a messy race and she was a sitting duck for anything in behind her,” said Keane. “She deserves all the applause, she’s a class filly. Maybe she has adapted well to the faster ground she has been running on, as she hasn’t quite travelled as well here and at Sandown earlier in the season.”It was a fifth Group One of what could prove to be an epic campaign for Balding. The first prize of £340,260 (€397,260) helped him narrow the gap on O’Brien who began the day leading Balding in the British trainers’ championship by just over €1 million.The Irishman is still a heavy favourite to land a ninth cross-channel crown, although Balding’s momentum on his home patch suggests a very different kind of close finish could yet be in the offing.That impetus was evident both immediately before and after the big race. Oisín Murphy guided Balding’s The Lost King to victory in a valuable handicap, while the Kerryman was also on board Prizeland in the Listed Galtres Stakes. Murphy also scored on Balding’s Machadodorp in the last to complete a sparkling 1,832-1 four-timerIt might eventually prove important that an hour before Balding’s Group One success, his rival snapped up almost as much prize money in the restricted Goffs sales juvenile contest with his Group One winner Sun Goddess.Sun Goddess, ridden by Ryan Moore, on their way to victory at York in the Harry's Half Million By Goffs. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA Wire Such was the even-money favourite’s superiority against inferior opposition that she could overcome being badly baulked at the two-furlong pole and still sail home to win by six lengths.It was a display stamped with the class that saw Sun Goddess win the Phoenix Stakes just 11 days previously and O’Brien indicated a return to the top level is likely in the Cheveley Park Stakes.Libertango beat Sun Goddess in Royal Ascot’s Albany Stakes in June and further advertised the strength of that form by landing the Group Two Lowther Stakes. Billy Loughnane overcame an unfavourable high draw on the George Boughey filly to run down Joseph O’Brien’s 9-4 favourite Star Of State. Now there could be a return clash in the Cheveley Park.“I think she will go to the Cheveley Park, it’s been the plan for a long time,” said Boughey, who will then aim at the Breeders’ Cup. “The sprint is a 5½ [furlongs] so I think that should suit her even better. It will be the sprint at Keeneland rather than the mile.”Irish racing’s reputation for underperforming in the sprint division has been upended this season and Mission Central could underline it in Friday’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes.A Group One winner at Royal Ascot in June, the gelding returns to the minimum trip after fading behind his compatriot Comanche Brave in last month’s July Cup.The Nunthorpe’s raw speed test – it’s usually run in about 57 seconds – could be diluted a little by easy ground conditions, although that should be no trouble to Aidan O’Brien’s runner. O’Brien has won the Nunthorpe twice with Mozart (2001) and Stravinsky in 1999.It might prove more of an issue for international opposition that includes the US hope Bacio. He also won at Royal Ascot, but in a handicap. The step up to Group One level, though, has usually proved less of an issue in sprints.His trainer Wes Ward is desperate to win the York sprint for the first time. Twice runner-up, he was memorably beaten a nose with Lady Aurelia in 2017. The Australian mare Asfoora is back to try to repeat last year’s success while Rayevka comes from France.At home, the TG4 cameras will again be in Killarney for Friday evening’s action featuring the €50,000 Kellihers Kingdom Cup. Having won over hurdles and fences already this month, Luker’s Tipple could complete a cross-discipline hat-trick for in-form Gavin Cromwell.