Moon Phases was pitched into a deep looking Dromahane four-year-old maiden for his debut, but it was a test that he was not phased by as he travelled strongly throughout as he tracked the pace. Such was the ease at which he was travelling through the race, he breezed into the lead at the fourth-last fence, and still held a share of the lead up to the penultimate fence only to then be headed by the Gordon Elliott-trained joint favourite at this point. It was only on the run-in that he dropped to fourth suggesting he could be better suited to a slightly shorter trip under rules, but this has to be considered a smart performance with the three horses that finished in front of him having gone through the store sales for an average of €105,000.