Trainer John Oxx© Photo Healy Racing
Guardia Svizzera appreciated the step up to seven furlongs when opening his account in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Fairyhouse.
Declan McDonogh was soon in front on the 9/1 shot and he nicked a few lengths on his rivals turning for home.
The John Oxx-trained gelding kept on well in the closing stages as At Your Service stayed on to get within half a length at the line.
“He's been running quite well over shorter. He's bred to go five or six but he obviously likes seven better,” said Oxx.
“That's ideal for him, fast ground over seven furlongs. He has plenty of speed but he just keeps going. He was just getting outpaced a bit at five and six.
“He first run was at Naas in very soft ground, which he didn't really like, and he was fourth to a good horse in Spirit Of Valor.
“So his first run was very good but it didn't go so well at Dundalk. He was a bit too keen in his early races so we dropped him down in distance.
“Now we have a hood on him to relax him and that's why he's stretching out to seven. He's not too bad.
“We'll look at a handicap, to begin with anyway, and see what rating he gets after that.
“He's always been a nice horse but it's just taken a while to get the key to him.
“The hood and blinkers. The hood is to settle him and the blinkers to make him concentrate. I don't run too many in the two together and I don't think you see the two together too many times either.
“The mixture works very well for him.”
