THE highly tried I Can Fly got her season back on track in style as she routed her opponents in the Racing Post Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes to look like a filly that can prosper between now and the end of the season.

Aidan O’Brien’s first winner of this listed event since 2012, I Can Fly was well fancied in the 1000 Guineas and Oaks earlier this season but struggled to make an impact in either.

After dropping down in class for the Corrib Stakes at Galway she ran creditably in fourth but she took a significant step forward here to look like a filly with prospects at a higher level.

The 2/1 favourite was nicely placed as the runners turned for home and, when Seamie Heffernan asked her to assert, she produced an impressive response. She surged to the front around a quarter of a mile from home and stayed-on powerfully to hand out a three-and-a-quarter-length beating to the progressive Rionach.

“I rated her highly earlier in the season but she disappointed twice. She came out of the Oaks worse than we expected and there were a few of them coming out of their races worse than we expected,” said Heffernan.

“The season doesn’t wait for anyone but I don’t think the horse are fully firing. She has outclassed them today but is a hell of a lot better.”

The classy Still Standing has Irish Champions Weekend on his agenda after bringing up a hat-trick in the M C Group Handicap. Jessica Harrington’s charge made a successful seasonal reappearance at Ballinrobe last week and produced a performance in keeping with his position as the red-hot 8/11 favourite as he stepped up to 11 furlongs.

Colm O’Donoghue’s mount sauntered into the lead a quarter of a mile from home en route to an impressive three-and-three-quarter-length success. This three-year-old could easily develop into a stakes horse.

“He doesn’t want the ground too quick so it’s been a frustrating summer with him and he suffered a hold up in the spring as well,” stated the trainer’s daughter, Kate.

“Hopefully he’ll now sneak into one of the handicap on Irish Champions Weekend.

“Mrs Patino loves Mastercraftsman and she bought this horse last year to eventually stand as a stallion but he’ll race on again next year.”

SURGED CLEAR

Dermot Weld, Declan McDonogh and Moyglare Stud ended the day with a double which was completed by the smart-looking Falcon Eight in the JOC Metal Fabrication Limited Race.

The Galileo colt was the evens favourite to follow up a promising debut success at the Curragh last month and he was much the best in the closing stages.

Light Pillar and Legal Spin did battle for much of the straight but when Falcon Eight came under strong pressure he responded generously to surge clear inside the distance, defeating the 96-rated Light Pillar by five and a half lengths.

“He’s not the finished article yet but we hope that he will make a very nice four-year-old. He’s coming forward nicely and he’ll probably have one more run this season in about six weeks’ time,” reported Kris Weld.

Earlier, the Rosewell team struck with Third World (9/2) who returned to the promise of his debut fourth at the Curragh by landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

The Dansili two-year-old showed a fine attitude in the straight as he looked to close down the resilient front-runner Excelcius who eventually succumbed in the final strides.

“He had a very nice first run at the Curragh and the maiden at Galway was a messy race and thing’s didn’t pan out for him but he got a lovely ride from Declan there,” declared Kris Weld.

“He might come back to Kerry in a couple of weeks for the nursery at Listowel.”

GOOD EFFORT

Michael Halford’s two-strong assault on the Celtic Steps Maiden could hardly have worked out better as the 82-rated Vivianite, a runner-up on her last two outings, led home stablemate Spirit Of Big Bang.

Ronan Whelan, who was riding his first winner for the trainer, got the Ballygallon Stud-owned daughter of Teofilo to the front with over a furlong to run. In the course of making her effort Vivianite hampered fellow 3/1 joint-favourite Would Be King but she kept on well when getting to the rail to hold her staying-on stablemate by half a length.

“It’s nice to get a bracket for her. She came here off two good runs which entitled her to win a maiden. She relaxed well in the hood, which she was wearing for the first time, and we’ll look at moving her up in class,” declared Halford.

An overdue and well deserved first success came the way of John Murphy’s High Altitude as Colin Keane’s bold decision to go for a daring run through on the inside paid dividends in the one-mile Killarney Advertiser Handicap.

Keane threaded his way through the eye of the proverbial needle as High Altitude squeezed through against the far rail to lead well inside the last furlong.

The 7/1 shot, who only crept into the race as a third reserve, got home by a length and a quarter from Koybig.

“He’s as genuine as the day is long but he’s just been a most unlucky horse. He is due to go up 4lbs for his last run so we said that we’d let him take his chance. He’d appreciate quicker ground than he got here,” stated Murphy, who trains the winner for his wife Catherine.

BRIGHT FUTURE

Denis Linehan, who spent six weeks out with a dislocated shoulder earlier this summer, rode his first winner since returning from injury as New Identity turned in a brave effort from the front in the first division of the Blacklion Fairy Discussion Group 40th Anniversary Handicap.

However, the jockey picked up three-day suspension for careless riding in an incident shortly after the start and was then hit with another three-day ban for using his whip with excessive frequency.

On his first outing since finishing third in a five-furlong handicap at the Curragh in May, the Willie Martin-trained and Stephen McGuinness-owned seven-year-old showed a fine attitude to prevail by a neck from Time Queen who had chased him throughout.

“He’s very ground dependent and as a result we got very little racing out of him this summer but the jar is gone out of the ground,” stated the trainer’s son, Michael.

“He’ll go hurdling during the winter and we think he’ll have a future as a jumper.”

After partnering Time Queen into a close second in the first divide of the apprentice handicap, Gavin Ryan enjoyed better luck in the other division as Danehill Quest pounced late to deny Paved With Gold.

In the colours of Lady Kaya’s owner Joanne Lavery, the 9/1 chance finished off well from a midfield position to get to the front in the closing strides.

“He got a great ride from Gavin as he’s a horse with plenty of ability but you just have to cod him along and he enjoys coming between horses,” reported Sheila Lavery.

ACTING STEWARDS:

T. Hunt, M. O’Carroll, J. Byrne, J. Shaughnessy, P.D. Matthews

HORSE TO FOLLOW:

WHERE TO NEXT (J.J. Murphy): This three-year-old shaped up quite nicely on her debut to take fifth in the maiden won by Vivianite and she should be up to making her mark in a maiden in the coming weeks.

Roisin Box

THE favourite, Roisin Box, was found to be clinically abnormal after finishing at the rear of the field in the Apprentice Handicap (Div II).