ALEXIOS Komnenos stepped up on his seasonal bow to win the Group 3 Invesco Pension Consultants Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown.

The Choisir colt was a smart performer as a juvenile last term, notably finishing just a neck behind subsequent classic winner Churchill in the Tyros Stakes last July.

However, he was sidelined after that run until making his return when third in a listed event at the Curragh last month, with that outing clearly having done Fozzy Stack's charge the world of good.

Chris Hayes tracked early leader Custom Cut up the rails before unleashing Alexios Komnenos with around a furlong to run. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Music Box emerged late from the chasing pack and while she gave it her best, she was a length and a half down at the line with Custom Cut a further short-head back in third.

"He quickened up well. It's amazing, with what he's been through, to even be here today," said Stack. "A big thanks goes to the staff at home and every vet in O'Byrne and Halleys. It's a wonder he's here at all. They gave him a 10% chance of racing again.

"He had an infection in his hind suspensory. They had to split his suspensory to wash it out and get the infection out. They even flew special maggots over from England that fight infection.

"It was just an infection and it must have been something going around his system. There wasn't a cut or a mark or anything. It happened just a week or 10 days before the National Stakes last year.

"If he's still in one piece in a few weeks' time, he'll come back for the Group 2 Boomerang Stakes. We'll leave him at a mile for the minute.

"He was six months doing nothing and it's only his fourth run. He probably doesn't kill himself when he gets to the front. Hopefully he'll improve.

"The dream lives on a bit longer and hopefully he's all right in the morning."

SMART FILLIES

Dermot Weld's string have definitely turned the corner and the masterful handler looks to have another smart juvenile to go to war with in the shape of Chiara Luna.

The beautifully-bred daughter of War Front and Princess Highway, whom Weld trained to win the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012, was sent off a red-hot 4/5 favourite for her debut and didn't disappoint.

Ridden just off the pace under Pat Smullen, she took it up inside the final furlong and was always doing enough to hold a late rally from Modern Love to win by three quarters of a length.

Boasting fancy entries in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and Group 2 Shadwell Rockfel Stakes, she is clearly held in high regard at home and looks to have a bright future.

Weld said: "It was a nice performance for her first start, for a filly that's bred to go much further and she'll learn a lot. She loved the nice ground and I appreciate the distance was always going to be a bit short for her.

"Hopefully next time with that benefit and over a bit further you will see a progressive filly. You could see the stamina coming through (at the end) and we ran her too short to teach her.

"We'll see how she comes out of the race and see how she progresses, but obviously the Moyglare is a very logical possible next target for her. If for any reason we thought she needed more time we'd probably wait for the CL Weld Park Stakes over the stiff seven at Naas but the Moyglare is the most likely next race for her.

"Princess Highway was a real mile-and-a-half mare and this filly will be best at a mile, I'd say, this year. To be able to win over a sharp six around here was a bonus.

"We've only limited time to get her right for a Group 1 – other fillies have two and three runs but she's come along the last couple of weeks and has progressed nicely."

Weld and Smullen made it a double when Ballylinch Stud's homebred three-year-old Belle Estrella (7/2) made a winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, taking the mile contest by three and a quarter lengths from 9/4 favourite Dochasach.

SON OF FRANKEL

Aidan O'Brien might have been out of luck with Music Box in the feature race, but he was on the mark with Nelson in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden.

Sent off the 1/2 favourite after finishing sixth and second in two previous outings, the son of Frankel ran out a cosy three-length winner under Donnacha O'Brien over stablemate Christopher Robin in the mile heat.

"You'd be delighted with that. He came forward lovely from his first to his second (run). He ran a nice race the last day but came forward again," said O'Brien.

"We could look at the Beresford or something like that with him. He gets a mile well and stays well. He was galloping out well to the line.

"You'd be delighted with the runner-up as well. He ran a lovely race and he's a lovely horse. He was just ready to come and you'd be delighted with the way he kept coming.

"They went an even pace and it was a very good run out of him because it wasn't a dawdle. It was a good run for a first timer."

READ THE FULL LEOPARDSTOWN REPORT IN THIS WEEKEND'S EDITION OF THE IRISH FIELD