Butterfly justifies her short price

Brown Butterfly justified odds-on favouritism as she took the Bennettsbridge Rated Race under Sam James for Kevin Prendergast.

The five-year-old daughter of Medicean was 15/8 last night with Paddy Powers but she opened on-course at just 5/4 before being backed into 9/10 at the off.

She tracked the leaders for much of the contest and but needed to be switched two furlongs out when a gap closed on her.

She was ridden in third over a furlong from home and she soon challenged, staying on best to lead in the closing stages, beating the Tom Taaffe trained, Seamie Heffernan ridden Great Soprano (13/2) by half a length at the line.

The John Foley owned winner was recording her third career success this evening, with her two previous victories coming back in 2011. She had run well on her last two outings, finishing second at Limerick and the Curragh.

Kevin Prendergast said afterwards; "She got put up six pounds for finishing second in the Curragh and it’s a good job she didn’t have to carry it.

"She was beaten a short head in the Curragh and it was ridiculous that she got six pounds as she hadn’t won a race in nearly two years."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee