John appreciates the step up in trip

John Constable finally got off the mark, as he took the sixth at Navan, the Excelebration Maiden, providing Aidan and Joseph O'Brien with a quick double (won the previous contest with Leading Light .

The son of Montjeu, who is a full-brother to Leading Light, was having his sixth start this afternoon, and his first over the trip of a mile and five.

The bay colt went off favourite on his first five starts, and he went off the market leader again today at 5/4.

Settled in mid-division, he made progress in the early straight and was ridden to lead under two furlongs out.

He kept on well under pressure inside the final furlong, going on to score by three parts of a length.

Kerzak ran a fine race on his seasonal debut to finish second at 20/1 under Declan McDonogh for John Oxx, while Snowmane (7/1) was a further eight and a half lengths back in third under Colin Keane for Ger Lyons.

Aidan O'Brien said afterwards: "We might have run him a bit short the first couple of times.

"He only ran over seven furlongs twice as a 2yo and then we stepped him up to a mile and two.

"Obviously the trip helped today. The Queens Vase at Royal Ascot could be an option."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson