Taipan overcame a lengthy lay-off to make a successful seasonal debut in the Rockshore Refreshingly Irish Race at Galway.

The Jessica Harrington-trained gelding was recording a fourth career win but hadn’t been seen since finishing second in the Listed His Majesty’s Plate at Down Royal over 13 months ago.

Shane Foley sent the six-year-old straight to the front in this 1m6f event and was challenged by Run For Oscar approaching the home bend.

However, the 9/2 chance stayed on strongly to beat that rival by two and a half lengths with Postileo a further eight lengths back in third.

Harrington said, "“I'm delighted, he hasn't run for over a year and it's great to get him back.

“Those conditions races are great for him. We were thinking of putting him in the amateur handicap but when he was qualified for this we decided to wait for now.

“I've had him ready to run for about the last six weeks but every time the ground came up too quick for him so I took him out.

“He just needs a little bit of an ease in the ground now in his old age. He wasn't stopping there and he'll go two miles no problem.

“We could have a look at the Cesarewitch and maybe the English Cesarewitch as well.”

Quotes by Gary Carson