As the dust settles on a week that contained more than its share of top-class flat action, it might seem a little surprising to begin with a handicap success but the victory of Tony Martin’s Heartbreak City in last weekend’s Ebor Handicap deserves the plaudits.

This 2016 has been a trying year for Martin. His string have been out of sorts for large parts of the last nine months. He lost one major owner in Gigginstown House Stud and then there was last month’s Pyromaniac case which made headlines for the wrong reasons.

However, last Saturday at York, Martin once again provided compelling evidence of his training skills as he produced Heartbreak City in the form of his life to produce the best weight carrying effort witnessed in the Ebor for almost 40 years. Just for good measure the trainer supplied the third placed finisher in the former Galway Hurdle hero Quick Jack.

Since the beginning of the Galway Festival there have been definite signs of resurgence in the fortunes of the Martin yard. Indeed any of his representatives in the high-profile handicaps that form a key part of the flat campaign in the autumn will warrant the utmost respect.

THE CURRAGH

On Sunday, a high-class card at the Curragh witnessed a vintage edition of the Royal Whip Stakes where four Group 1 performers squared off. Victory went to the thoroughly likeable Ken Condon inmate Success Days who once again showed just how dangerous he is from the front on his favoured soft ground.

Whether the likeable grey will have his ideal conditions in the Irish Champion Stakes is debatable but the form he has shown this season would suggest that he could challenge strongly for a Group 1 on slow ground this autumn.

Although he had to settle for second, Fascinating Rock emerged from this race with substantial credit. This was his first run since May and he does progress very well for his comeback outings, all of which points to him being a live contender for the Irish Champion Stakes. With Harzand already in the reckoning for that race, Dermot Weld holds quite a hand for that Leopardstown contest.

Back in fourth in the Royal Whip was the Epsom Derby second US Army Ranger. He too should improve off this, but he will need to if he is to match his elders in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere, at the Curragh, Aidan O’Brien demonstrated that he will take some beating in the juvenile contests that form part of Irish Champions Weekend. Firstly, Churchill did what was required of him in the Futurity Stakes which took place on slower than ideal ground. This colt continues to give the impression that he is capable of more than he has shown and he remains the benchmark for success in the Irish National Stakes.

On the fillies front, O’Brien has an embarrassment of riches as evidenced by him sending out a one-two in the Debutante Stakes where Rhododendron saw off Hydrangea. With the Silver Flash Stakes winner Promise To Be True waiting in the wings and Brave Anna sure to improve off her sixth in the Debutante it is nigh on impossible to envisage anything other than a Ballydoyle domination of next month’s Moyglare Stakes.

The weekend’s action at the Curragh also witnessed a milestone success for trainer Darren Bunyan as his Hit The Bid sprung a 50/1 shock in the Group 3 Curragh Stakes. Nothing in this colt’s first two runs suggested that he could win this prize but Bunyan was always adamant that Hit The Bid was a colt of some potential and his faith was rewarded in resounding fashion. A fascinating aspect of this triumph was that prior to the race Bunyan commendably informed the public, through The Turf Club, that his charge had undergone a wind operation since his last run in May.