On a decidedly mixed day for a number of Ireland’s leading lights on the flat, the Dermot Weld-trained Fascinating Rock came to the fore on British Champions’ Day at Ascot last Saturday, with a tremendous victory in the QIPCO Champion Stakes.

A multiple pattern race winner heading into the race, Fascinating Rock still needed to produce the performance of his life to play a leading role at Ascot, and he rose to the challenge in terrific style under a superb ride from Pat Smullen. The four-year-old son of Fastnet Rock came from well off the pace, to lead inside the final furlong and defeat Compatriot Found by a length and a quarter, with the Irish Derby winner Jack Hobbs back in third.

After ending last season with below-par efforts in the Epsom and Irish Derbys, Fascinating Rock has been restored to the peak of his powers and more by Dermot Weld this year, and there will surely be more top-level contests to be won with him in 2016.

Ascot also saw the return to action of Aidan O’Brien’s dual 2000 Guineas hero Gleneagles, whose preference for a sound surface meant that he had missed a series of intended engagements since his victory at Royal Ascot in June. However, the slow ground didn’t allow Gleneagles to shine and, having finished first past the post on his previous eight starts, he had to settle for sixth behind the top-class French horse Solow. A trip to the Breeders’ Cup Classic had been on the agenda for Gleneagles coming into this race, but whether he now makes the trip to Keeneland is open to question.

CURVY TRIUMPHS

Across the Atlantic, it was a memorable weekend for trainer David Wachman as Curvy rediscovered her best form to land the Grade 1 EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday. The first Irish filly to win this race in 20 years, Curvy bounced back in some style from an abortive trip to New York two weeks previously, where she got bogged down on unusually soft ground. On this occasion, the relentless improver showed just what she was capable of to cap a remarkable season, which also yielded a Royal Ascot triumph and a placed effort in the Irish Oaks. Curvy has certainly come a very long way since her season began with a Navan handicap win off a mark of 72 back in April.

On the jumping front, all eyes were on Punchestown on Thursday for the return of Don Cossack, who set out on the long road to Gold Cup glory. The Gordon Elliott-trained gelding, whose stunning campaign last season saw him emerge as the country’s top staying chaser, faced a straightforward task for his return, but he still couldn’t have done any more in defeating stablemate Roi Du Mee by a dozen lengths. In truth, this will be the easiest assignment that Don Cossack will face all season, but the eight-year-old has clearly come back in excellent heart and his connections have some exciting times to look forward to.