Fleetfoot rewarded favourite backers on a busy student race day at Leopardstown when just shading Farnborough in race five.

Farnborough took over from Tipsy Scholar entering the straight, but was soon swamped by Sharlouk. Farnborough, to his credit, rallied to regain the lead on the run to the final furlong.

He was strongly pressed in the closing stages by 7/4f Fleetfoot, and joined in the final strides, before Fleetfoot dropped his head on the line to win by a short head under Rory Cleary.

Aidan O'Brien 's runner-up Farnborough went off at 3/1 and his stablemate, Canute was three lengths further back in third at 9/2.

“His form was good last year. He usually only got mugged by a very good horse and he's a better three-year-old than he was a two-year-old,” said Jim Bolger.

“Hopefully he'll be back here in September!

“He handled it well and I'd say he'll go on any ground. I'd say he'll go all the way trip wise.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson