Ring Chief turned in a game front-running performance to win the mile and a quarter maiden for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning in Sligo.

The three-year-old son of Teofilo had been beaten 10 lengths into third on debut at Galway but evidently had progressed from that run.

Manning had him in the box seat early doors as the 6/5 favourite Corona Borealis tracked him in second on the outer. The ‘jolly’ was hard ridden entering the straight to go and pick off the leader, but he never got on terms as Ring Chief kept up the gallop to win by a length and a half at 5/2 (from an opening show of 3/1). Comedy Club travelled well throughout the race and moved into third at the business end. He could make no further headway in the final furlong and had to settle for third at 10/1.

“It was a good performance. Kevin (Manning) said the track probably didn't suit him on his second run and he was very green,” Ger Flynn, travelling head lad to Bolger, said.

“He should come on a little bit. He handled the ground okay and the trip seemed okay. Kevin said he ducked away from the stalls handlers on the bend and that was greenness. We'll probably try and find a handicap now.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson