Mehmar defied a 759-day absence when running out a convincing winner of the three-year-old plus maiden at Navan for Michael O'Callaghan.

Colin Keane bounced out and made all on the Mehmas gelding, who had last been seen in action in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot in June 2022.

The well-backed 3/1 shot (8/1 this morning) was asked for an effort a furlong-and-a-half from home and galloped on strongly in the closing stages to score by a length-and-a-half. Desert Power came through to chase him home as 8/11 favourite Betsen weakened inside the final furlong after tracking the leader.

Keane said: "He had good form as a two-year-old.

"Fair ask off the track that long and giving the likes of Jack Davison's horse (Betsen) plenty of weight.

"Michael thought he would run well, but he thought he would come on from the run.

"He wasn't stopping and he picked up from where he left off. He was very professional and pinged the gates. The loose horse helped us if anything, he brought us along.

"A very strong horse and handles that quick ground well. You would imagine he is only going to get better with racing, so hopefully he can keep progressing for them."

(Quotes by Michael Graham)