MERCHANT Navy staked his claim for top sprinting honours when asserting close home in the Group 2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh.

Having his first race since joining Aidan O'Brien's stable from Australia, the three-year-old son of Fastnet Rock was off the pace set mainly by two of his new stablemates, Intelligence Cross and Spirit Of Valor.

But once Ryan Moore got stuck into him, Merchant Navy (9/2) found plenty and did his best work at the finish, as he won by a length from Spirit Of Valor, with Tasleet a length and a quarter away in third and Brando fourth.

O'Brien said: "You'd be delighted with him, obviously. We felt he was just ready to come and the whole reason for running him was to see before we went to Ascot.

"We felt that he was at a racecourse gallop stage. The lads in Australia said he was a very good horse, so we just took it totally on trust. He did five little canters, that's all he did.

"Ryan was very happy with him. The plan is to go to Ascot for the six-furlong race (Diamond Jubilee Stakes) and I think he has to go after that. I think he's only here for Ascot and then gone after that, whatever (stallion) commitments he has.

"I thought there would be a lot of improvement in him. I was just hoping for a nice run today, that's all, so it's all a plus. He wasn't stopping, but he's obviously not short of speed, either.

"He made a good bit of ground up from halfway and Ryan was riding him that way because we were afraid he would get tired."

Fairyland led home a one-two-three for Aidan O'Brien in the Listed Cold Move Irish EBF Marble Hill Stakes as the Ballydoyle trainer picked up the six-furlong prize for an 11th time.

The daughter of Kodiac cost 925,000 guineas at Tattersalls and that looked a bargain after she followed up her Naas debut victory in impressive fashion.

Michael O'Callaghan's Recon Mission and O'Brien's Land Force made the running, but Fairyland (4/1) was never far away and stretched out eyecatchingly for Seamie Heffernan.

She went on to score by two and a quarter lengths from her stablemate Van Beethoven, who was sent off the 4/6 favourite but never posed a real threat. Land Force was just a neck away to complete the O'Brien clean sweep.

O'Brien said: "She looks very nice. She won very nicely in Naas and Ryan (Moore) loved her when he rode her. Wayne (Lordan) rides her at home all the time and he's always loved her.

"She's relaxed. First time was five and we stepped her up to six today to have a little bit of a feel and give her a little bit of experience. She was very comfortable at it, looking at her, and Seamus was really happy with her.

"She travelled well and Seamus said she's a very kind, very unassuming type of filly, and she cruised the whole way. He felt she would even stay further.

"She has a great pedigree and Mrs Stockwell always loved her, she loved her at the sales. She's an exciting filly, a filly for either the Queen Mary or the Albany – we have a choice now."