THERE were some exciting and some impressive performances among those who won the most prestigious events in Europe last weekend, but one of the most eye-catching came in a Group 3 contest, in which a lightly-raced colt won in a style that suggested Group 1 success awaits, and in a time that hinted he may already be good enough to succeed at that level.

Last year Moyglare Stud’s home-bred Free Eagle (by High Chaparral) created such a favourable impression on his debut, when beating Orchestra by five and a half lengths over a mile at Leopardstown, that many saw him as a potential Derby hero in the making.