Aidan O'Brien's Rock Of Cashel upsets the odds to get back on track at Navan
This term he has been campaigned in Group and Listed company before trying his hand in a handicap to no avail at Royal Ascot.
Against just three runners in this conditions race, however, the 3/1 chance took command early in the straight under Wayne Lordan to get the better of Johnny Murtagh's 1/4 hotpot Nautical Force by two lengths.
O'Brien's stable representative Chris Armstrong said: 'In fairness to him, he has been dropped in the deep end from word go this year. He ran with credit behind Henri Matisse and Delacroix and was beaten five to six lengths behind proper Group One horses.
'Obviously, Johnny's horse brought a high level of form here. Wayne gave him a lovely ride and the race worked out for him beautifully.
'He's a horse we thought of as a stakes horse after Galway last year as a two-year-old, so hopefully this will do his confidence good and we will bring him back up to a stakes race over a mile and a-quarter and see how he goes.'
Murtagh had already been on the mark with newcomer Zuheila (5/2) in the six-furlong maiden. Ben Coen nursed the Aga Khan Studs-owned three-year-old into the closing stages before getting down to business to beat Ger Lyons' Washington Street by half a length.
'She's a nice, big filly and bred to have a bit of speed. She has been doing things nice at home,' said Coen. 'You can see why she hasn't got to the track until now, she's a big girl but she did that nicely. She'd a good look when she hit the front, but hopefully she can stay improving.
'She was green running down the hill and, when I hit the rising ground, she came good.'
At Sligo, meanwhile, the featured handicap hurdle went to Sargent Lightfoot (4/1) for the trainer-jockey combination of Adrian Murray and Kieren Buckley – the 11-year-old getting the better of fellow veteran Jack Holiday on the run-in.
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