Excel finally gets his head in front

I Will Excel finally got off the mark, as he took the Collierstown Maiden on his twenty-second career start.

Having filled the runner-up spot seven times previously, the son of Exceed And Excel certainly wasn't winning out of turn.

Backed from 5/2 to 7/4 on-course, the Michael O'Callaghan trained four-year-old raced alone on the outer under Shane Kelly.

He was pushed along with under two furlongs to race, and came with his challenge inside the final furlong, getting up close home to prevail by half a length. Accalia who was sent off the 6/4 favourite, lost valuable momentum when jumping the road inside the final 150 yards, and she had to settle for second under Tom Madden for John Hayden. A Likely Story completed the placings a further three and a half lengths back in third under Pat Smullen for Dermot Weld at 9/2 (from 7/2).

Shane Kelly said afterwards: "It was a bit of surprise but he was due it anyway.

"I think the boss' instructions won the race. He told me to keep out away from the rest of them and give him a chance to get into the race.

"They fell away and he landed there at the right time. Hopefully that will give him a bit of confidence and he can go on and win again. He has the ability.

"That's my first winner since coming back."

Kelly had been ban from riding for two years after a sample of urine taken from him at Leopardstown last August was found to contain enzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl esther (metabolites of cocaine).

The second year of the ban was to be suspended, while Kelly successful appealed against the severity of the suspension in May.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson