< Rain Delayed showed smart form last season and returned from a six-month lay-off with his first victory at Listed level in the feature Cork Stakes.

All previous successes for Ger Lyons' four-year-old (11-1) had been at the minimum trip, but Keagan Latham had no concerns about the six furlongs as he bounced him out of the stalls and led the way.

Favourite Miss Gorica was the only one to go with him and the pair never saw another horse, battling it out through the final furlong before Rain Delayed squeezed home by a head, with Rock Jock running well in third.

The meeting opened with a shock defeat for Tommy Stack's odds-on favourite High Award who was expected to add to his Curragh gains in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race.

Instead it went to Willie McCreery's 9-2 shot Lightening Thief who was smartly into his stride under Rory Cleary and led all the way, easily holding off High Award to score by two lengths.

Stack was back in the winner's enclosure, however, when Blasket Spirit (2-1) decisively beat market rival Echoes Of History in the Cork Racecourse (C & G) Maiden.

Wayne Lordan settled in third spot but Blasket Spirit put in a telling burst of speed two furlongs out and went clear before running on strongly to score by four lengths.

Most of the action in the www.corkracecourse.ie Handicap took place down the centre of the track, but Ruby Suesday (7-1) had a nice rails berth and made the most of it.

Declan McDonogh always had her in the firing line and she hit the front 200 yards out and forged ahead to win by a length and a half for the Andy Slattery yard.< One Of Three (14-1) led virtually all the way in the Mallow Handicap to score under Gary Carroll, who registered a double when top-weight Bravely Fought (8-1) led a furlong out and took the July Mallow Town Race Night Handicap.