Aikhal carves out his maiden success

Aikhal held on well to get off the mark in the opening juvenile maiden over seven furlongs in Listowel.

Aidan O'Brien 's charge went off even-money favourite on the back of a runner-up berth on debut at Cork earlier this month.

He was pushed along by Seamie Heffernan leaving the stalls to soon pick up the lead. The pair had Sen Ding and Colin Keane for company on the outer.

Send Ding was first to come off the bridle at the two pole and soon gave best as Seeingisbelieving and Fiach McHugh picked up the chase approaching the final furlong.

They delivered their challenges on either side of the 'jolly' in the closing stages but Aikhal wasn't was passing and hit the line first by a head.

Fiach McHugh ran a notable race in second at 20/1 and was a neck in front of Seeingisbelieving (14/1) who showed improvement from a debut sixth in Galway.

Heffernan said: "If he won below (in Cork), I wouldn't have won on him here and today he had the pace to get a proper position and it is probably what won it for me. I think that smart jump on the rail won it.

"For around here, I prefer it to be soft and yet he handles a dig in it.

"He could be anything and while he needs to improve, he probably will."

Aikhal has a Group 2 entry at the Curragh this month and a Group One entry for Doncaster in October.

The Aikhal mine is one of the biggest diamond mines in Russia and, indeed, the world.

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes