He beat the unlucky-in-running Treasure Beach (third in the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot earlier in the day behind the most impressive Frankel) at Listowel but there was no disputing Pirateer s authority in the I.T.B.A. (South East Region) European Breeders Fund Nursery at Gowran today.

Joseph O'Brien always had the top-weight on the gallop and he battled tenaciously to see off Defining Year by three parts of a length.

Pirateer was giving Ballydoyle a very small measure of compensation for the nose defeat of Rip Van Winkle in the QEII at Ascot.