The Dermot Weld trained, Khalid Abdullah owned Flavius made a taking winning start to his career when justifying strong even money favouritism in the Tote Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden Leopardstown today under jockey Leigh Roche.

Backed from 2/1 this morning, the son of War Front was eventually returned the strong ‘jolly’ and under Roche, filling in for Weld’s suspended stable jockey Pat Smullen, quickened well to lead in the closing stages before scoring a length and a half win over Conclusion

Afterwards Weld stated “it was a good workmanlike performance and he's a gorgeous big colt. He's having a real serious blow there and there is lots of improvement in him.

“He was a big late maturing horse and his dam (Group 2 winner Starformer) was a good mile-and-a-quarter filly and there is plenty of stamina in the pedigree.

“He'll be a lovely horse for a mile or a mile-and-a-quarter next year, is a horse we like an awful lot and he has potentially a big future. He'll be a lovely horse for one of the Guineas Trials next spring.”

He added “considering the time of year it's lovely ground here and a credit to Leopardstown.”

Quotes from Gary Carson