Aikhal stretches away© Photo Healy Racing
Aidan O'Brien's Aikhal went off an unconsidered 20/1 shot for the Group 3 ARM Holding International Stakes at the Curragh but made a mockery of those odds.
The three-year-old Galileo colt ran past Visualisation approaching the final couple of furlongs and asserted with a furlong to race.
He was ridden clear inside the final furlong and powered home by four and a quarter lengths from 13/2 Duke De Sessa
Jockey Ryan Moore said: "He has done that very well. He's a lovely little horse and obviously he was off a long time, and he was straight into the St James's Palace.
"He stepped up to a mile and a quarter today and he got the trip very well. You'd be delighted with what he has done there, he has beaten some real solid older horses.
"Hopefully he has got a bright future from here. He won well and they weren't getting anywhere near him."
O'Brien added: “We thought this was a very good horse last year but he got a hold up in the spring and he went to the St James’s Palace without a run which is certainly not ideal. It was a slow pace and then they quickened and left him.
“Ryan said maybe we ran the wrong horse in the Derby when he got off him. Ryan said they went a strong gallop and he couldn’t believe how well he was going and he ran right through the line.”
Aikhal had been off since October before reappearing in the Group One St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot this month where he finished last of the 11 runners.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
