Comanche Brave (5/2 favourite) won the BAR 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh in the style of a top-class performer.
The bare facts will relate that Comanche Brave beat American Affair and Rumnstar by one and a quarter lengths and half a length but visually it was a far more impressive performance.
It's been quite a journey to this point for Comanche Brave who did much of his early racing over seven furlongs and even contested an Irish Guineas, finishing fifth behind Field Of Gold.
In April, he reverted to sprinting taking on no other than Ka Ying Rising in Hong Kong and it was no surprise he came up short at Sha Tin but it's been a tale of steady improvement since.
A Group 2 win here over six furlongs followed in May and while Comanche Brave couldn't back that up at Royal Ascot he won the Group 1 July Cup next time.
Dropped back to five furlongs here for the first time in his career, he had his doubters but he could be seen travelling supremely well under Billy Loughnane as the leaders approached the final furlong but he had a wall of horses in front of him, including American Affair hard against the rail.
The gaps, though, did appear as Rumstar and Rob Hornby drifted off the rail and Comanche Brave was brave enough to quicken through and sprint away from the runner-up, a Group 1 winner himself at Royal Ascot last year.
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Trainer Donnacha O'Brien said: "He's getting better. Billy said five is definitely his trip. I was worried about the ground today but that obviously wasn't any problem, he's just a very, very good, fast horse.
"He's not over-big but he's very strong, real fast strider, very strong front on him - he's a good looking horse and very lucky to have him.
"I'll have to speak to everyone but I think there's a chance he might stay in training next year which would be great and I think he's a horse that's getting better all the time. He's still got his passport so I'm sure we'll do plenty of travelling with him this winter.
"We had discussed whether we'd go Breeders' Cup Mile rather than the five and a half in Keeneland but looking at that you wouldn't have any worries about the trip."
Loughnane told Racing TV: "It was very easy for him. He broke fast, I just gave him chance early first time back at five furlongs but he travelled into the race supremely well and as long as I got a gap, it was pretty smooth sailing.
"I could have done with them taking me as far as possible, he doesn't do too much in front but I never had a moment's worry as soon as the gap came.
"I thought he'd have enough speed. I said that to Donnacha after the July Cup, it was so easy for him at six furlong pace and I thought back at five he could be even better and maybe he's just shown that today. I was taking him back at every stage of the race.
"He's a very talented sprinter. Donnacha and his whole team have got him in fantastic nick and he felt better today than he did at Newmarket and the sky's the limit."
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