Michael Graham
The Ring Is King triumphant again
The Ring Is King, blue, gets his head in front at Sligo
© Photo Healy Racing
The Ring Is King bounced back to form with a vengeance in the Sligo Students Day 30th September Handicap.
The son of Jeremy clearly seemed to enjoy the prevailing testing conditions as he made his move to get on the tails of the three leaders with a quarter of a mile to travel.
Daniel Redmond, the jockey on board, soon asked for more and The Ring Is King found plenty inside the final furlong as he stayed on strongly to grab a narrow advantage with 100 yards to go.
The pair kept on best to eke out a win by a length at 16/1. Sheilas Wish (10/1) was the horse collared in the closing stages and had to settle for second.
She was a length and three parts in front of 10/1 chance Sovereign Princess Sr Cartage the 11/4 favourite, could make no impression in the final furlong and finished fourth.
Handler Paul Flynn said: "It probably wasn't a great race but he's been a good horse for us.
"He's had lots of wind trouble but had it done and that's his first run on soft ground with 'fresh' wind; he didn't go on soft ground in the past when his wind was bad.
"He'll go to Cork at the end of the month for a handicap hurdle next."
The winner carries the colours of the trainer's wife Claire Howes.
The Ring Is King last won in Leopardstown in June 2014.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes