AIDAN O’Brien’s Highland Reel, an excellent second in the Prix du Jockey Club but below his best when unplaced in the Irish Derby, came right back to form in the Group 3 Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes.

The Galileo colt, sent off at 7/4 favourite, had to work hard to master Scottish but he was a length and a half to the good at the line with Disegno five lengths away in third.

For quite a while in the home straight it looked as if Joseph O’Brien would have a major problem in getting through, because Disegno was holding his line and keeping him in as Scottish showed no signs of weakening.

However, once the gap appeared, Highland Reel was through it and closed down the leader, showing commendable determination in the process.

Whether he will stay the extra two furlongs of the St Leger is hard to say and O’Brien has several other options anyway, though he was happier on the stamina issue after talking to Joseph.

“I thought towards the end the horse was running on empty but Joseph didn’t think that,” O’Brien senior said.

“What it looked like and what he felt are different. We won’t make a decision about the St Leger yet but if he went to Doncaster he’d go straight there.

“He’s still a bit babyish and lives on his nerves. He’s also a free sweater but relaxed early today. He had to be strong to hold his position but he’s a hardy type.”

“He tries hard and handles this track well,” Joseph O’Brien added. “I would never have thought that he needed a mile and six but he did well to win off a pretty slow pace here.”

Scottish cannot run in the St Leger because he is a gelding but Andrew Balding will still consider the Great Voltigeur, another established trial, at York.