It seems only a matter of days since Camelot won the Epsom Derby for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien but the talk at Dundalk on Monday was already focussed on next years race with Team O’Brien running Mars.

Mars was a big talking horse going into the race (and napped by our own DAQMAN) and made an impressive winning debut and has since shortened at the top of the embryonic ante-post betting for the Derby in 2013.

The recent poor weather prompted the extra meeting at Dundalk on Monday.

Mars, a son of Galileo, made his debut in the seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Maiden and was soon in front under Joseph O’Brien. He quickened nicely clear to beat stablemate The Ferryman by four and three quarter lengths at an SP of 4/7.