Aidan O'Brien's Air Chief Marshal took the step back up to Group Three company in his stride with victory in the www.thetote.com Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh.
A facile win at Dundalk earlier in the month was his first taste of success since landing his maiden last May and it has evidently done his confidence no end of good.
Always to the fore under Johnny Murtagh, the 5-1 chance edged ahead of Duff two furlongs out and ground out victory by one and three-quarter lengths. Dandy Boy stuck on for third, but co-favourites Free Judgement Arabian Gleam and Rayeni failed to figure.
Murtagh had earlier made the right choice when partnering Misty For Me (7-1) to victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
Beautifully-bred Ballydoyle stablemate Why was the subject of plenty of attention and posted an encouraging introduction in fourth, but it was the experienced Mist For Me who took the spoils with a one-and-a-quarter-length defeat of Katla < Siege Of Ennis (11-1) gained an overdue first Flat success under Fran Berry in the Sir Edmund Loder Lifetime Achievement In Racing Handicap.
Edward Harty's six-year-old got a dream run up the inside rail to latch on to Champion Boy at the furlong marker and was driven out to score by half a length.
Berry had to settle for a neck second aboard Zaralanta in the Mick O'Toole Lifetime Achievement In Racing Handicap as Declan McDonogh gunned down his rivals close home on Ken Condon's 14-1 shot Little Arrows
Blinkers brought Jim Bolger's Suntan (11-2) back to the boil and he cleared away in the final furlong to land the Barbara Collins Lifetime Achievement In Racing Nursery by three lengths under Kevin Manning.
The jockey-trainer combination went on to a double when newcomer Vita Venturi (9-4 joint-favourite) got the hang of things late on to collar Obama Rule and take the Stephen Craine Lifetime Achievement In Racing Maiden by three-quarters of a length.
