IT has been fairly obvious in recent weeks that Ballydoyle’s immensely powerful team is not performing at its best, so Fairyland’s narrow success in the opening Group 2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes came as something of a relief to Aidan O’Brien.

“It’s a respiratory illness and the worst I’ve known during my time at the stable,” he said. “It’s as if the horses have phlegm in their throats and all you can do is wait for them to come right.

“Saxon Warrior was very sick after the Eclipse but he’ll come on again after this week’s run. We’re not complaining because it’s the sort of thing that happens to everyone.”

The 6/4 favourite, Fairyland, returning from quite a long absence, was helped by market rival Angel’s Hideaway running unaccountably badly.

In a protracted duel, the daughter of Kodiac ceded the advantage to outsider The Mackem Bullet but was coaxed and cajoled by Ryan Moore to get back up right on the line. She may have been just getting over the bug because the jockey said she ‘took a big blow’ two furlongs from home.

In fairness, it looked a sub-standard Lowther, but Fairyland is an interesting prospect and the result will have cheered everyone back at base.