Ballydoyle appear to have unearthed another potentially top class performer in St Nicholas Abbey (11/10f), impressive winner of the Racing Academy & Centre Of Education Reunion EBF Maiden at The Curragh today.

The newcomer son of Montjeu eased to a four lengths win over Saajidah (narrowly defeated on his Gowran debut run), with winning jockey Johnny Murtagh easing the colt down in the closing stages.

Afterwards winning trainer Aidan O'Brien stated “St Nicholas Abbey did that very well and is an exciting horse. The pace of the race was slow but to have a horse which can quicken like that off a slow pace is exciting to see.”

He added “he is a very good moving horse and may need to have top of the ground – we wont rush him and have no immediate plans from here.”