Bengala flies home to deny Butterfly

Newcomer Bengala flew home to claim the second at Leopardstown, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

The John Oxx trained daughter of Pivotal cost E350,000 as a two-year-old, but she proved friendless with punters this afternoon, going off a 14/1 chance after opening at 10's on-course (was 6's last night).

Settled towards rear by Declan McDonogh, the chestnut victor was pushed along in seventh with two furlongs to race. She was ridden and hit top gear with a furlong to go, getting up in the dying strides to score by a short head. Aurora Butterfly who hit the front over a furlong out, was the one just denied, and she had to settle for second under Billy Lee for Willie McCreery at 12/1. Longing was the best of the Aidan O'Brien trio, she was another three parts of a length back in third, with Wayne Lordan aboard the 3/1 chance.

The 97 rated Bound was sent off the 13/8 favourite but she could only manage a disappointing seventh under Seamie Heffernan.

John Oxx said afterwards: "She's a nice filly. She was working well and I'm not surprised she won.

"She was a bit raw and we knew she'd need an educational run. That was the number one thing to get her in between horses and teach her a bit and then see with a flick of the whip what she could do.

"She finished well and I'm not surprised she showed some promise as she was indicating it at home.

"The ground is a bit sticky but it doesn't seem to bother her and she's probably impervious to the ground. I think she'll go on good ground.

"She could come down in trip, maybe. There is a Listed race at Navan in 18 days time, the Salsabil Stakes, so we'll see how she comes out of the race. It might be a possibility.

"She was bought in the Wildenstein dispersal and I had her for a few weeks before that. Mr Evans bought her and thankfully sent her back to me.

"I wasn't doing anything with her, just hacking around, but you could see she was really athletic - a tall leggy filly.

"Even the little bit I saw of her you could recommend her to people. I gave her a good reference and fortunately the man that bought her sent her to me. She has a good pedigree.

"I had one filly ten years ago for him before. She won at Dundalk and had an injury after that.

"He wouldn't normally have anything over here. She might be one for American in due course."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson