But the three-year-old could not match the pace of 10-1 shot Tiger Royal, who is twice is age yet showed a sparkling turn of speed to lead a furlong out and score by a comfortable three lengths.

The winner was landing his third win from four starts since ‘‘coming home’’ before the start of the season.

‘‘With the foot-and-mouth scare he went to England to be trained last year,’’ Weld said.

‘‘But he didn’t adapt - he ran six times and he only got placed once.

‘‘But he has been a model of consistency since he came back and he deserved this Group win he must like the Irish air!’’

Tiger Royal will now bid to redeem his reputation in Britain.

‘‘The King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot is the logical race for him,’’ Weld said. ‘‘He is equally effective over five furlongs and six furlongs.

‘‘He is a very good sprinter and did it well today.’’

Marino Marini earned a place on O’Brien’s strong team of two-year-olds for Royal Ascot with a very smooth victory in the Listed Sara Lee Marble Hill Stakes.

Sent off 4-6 favourite after a debut win at Cork last month, the 1.8million colt tracked pase-setting Petite Histoire before cruising to the front a furlong out and quickening clear for a two-and-a-half-length defeat of Luminata.

O’Brien, whose juvenile squad for the Royal meeting will also include Irrawaddy, Statue Of Liberty, Tomahawk, Ontario and Spartacus, said: ‘‘This is a lovely horse.

‘‘He has a lot of pace. He won over six furlongs on his debut at Cork but it was heavy ground and he was very green.’’