Piazza San Marco opens up a path to stakes company Aidan O'Brien's Piazza San Marco showed good progression to strike on second start in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Galway. He finished seventh over seven furlongs at Fairyhouse in June and moved up to an extended mile here. He soon led under Ronan Whelan and set the fractions thereafter. Whelan asked him for more running round the home bend and the St Mark's Basilica colt gave generously in front. The 6/5 favourite (strong in the market) had his rivals on the stretch a furlong out and ploughed through the soft ground to win by three and a-quarter lengths from Hamiyan (3/1). Acclamatic was another three lengths away in third at 5/1. Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: "He is a smashing colt who had one run at Fairyhouse back in early June. He had been showing well above average ability at home, so we wanted to see if he was one for the Chesham (Stakes) at Royal Ascot but it just came too soon for him. "Time has done him the world of good and he has really strengthened, but what he does this year will be a bonus. You'll see the best of him next year over middle-distances and he is a fine, big, strong horse. "He is by St Mark's Basilica. who we have a handful of, and we have some very very smart ones. This horse will have no problem stepping up to stakes company hopefully this year." The Piazza San Marco is the principal public square of Venice. Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
