A maiden winner over course and distance on his all-weather debut last month, Dark Ace (6/1) followed up in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 2-y-o Race.

The Soldier's Call colt, owned by Michael Keaveney and Damien McCann, broke well and made all under Adam Caffrey.

Despite being keen early, he picked up well when 1/1 favourite Sounds Like A Plan loomed up to challenge halfway down the straight and went away to account for that rival by a length and a quarter.

Trainer Ado McGuinness said: "He's a good horse, I like this horse a lot. I bought him in Goresbridge for 40 grand at the breeze-up sales.  

"He disappointed me the first day but we ran him over seven and I probably shouldn't have, it was my fault. He ran too keen and sort of half ran away that day. He fell in a hole up the straight in Naas. 

"Then we ran him in Navan and he ran a bit with the choke out and we just couldn't get him to settle.

"We did a lot of work with him and fair play to Adam and the guys at home. He has really settled down and has really manned up. 

"I think you could step this horse back to five (furlongs) with the pace he has. 

"I'm looking forward to him for next year, he is going to have a break. 

"He has two runs for the all-weather finals and there is a 150 grand race for three-year-olds in Newcastle, and he has one more run to get for that. We might do that with him."

Quotes from Michael Graham