River Voyage has posted three very encouraging performances this season which ensured that his eight-length victory at Dromahane certainly did not come as a surprise. He entered that latest contest hot off finishing fourth in a strong-looking maiden at Ballindenisk that was won by the £200,000 seller Shanagh Bob. There were 15 runners in that maiden, and River Voyage had to take on a similarly big field of 13 runners by four-year-old standards when opening his account in Dromahane last month. Never too far from the pace, he proved himself to be a very game individual in the testing underfoot conditions. Ridden to feature as part of a breakaway group of five runners that kicked clear leaving the back straight he proved his toughness by battling past each of his rivals and pulling clear in the manner of a stout stayer for the future with the time of the race, some 25 seconds quicker than the average on the card illustrating how strong a tempo the race was run at.