The progressive, Aidan O’Brien-trained Fields Of Athenry proved a hugely impressive winner of the listed Challenge Stakes as continuous rain turned the ground yielding to soft in Leopardstown last night.

Shay Barry, who ended a long and successful riding career last year, registered his first training success when Cracked Rear View landed the bumper in Sligo last night, the www.coimtysligoraces.com Pro-Am Flat Race.

In-form Dermot Weld made a successful start with his juvenile class of 2012 when Imperial Concorde, his first two-year-old runner of the season, made all to land the opening Irish Stallion Farms Maiden at Gowran Park last evening.

SIREN’S SONG was a hot topic of discussion after last Sunday’s racing in Navan and I have to say she won the Salsabil Stakes very well. I said last week I thought she might be good and she certainly indicated that with a strong finish to win by a length and a half.