Flight Plan navigates Killarney well

Flight Plan did it from the front in Killarney but had to survive a stewards enquiry before it was confirmed that he had won his first bumper.

Johnny King dictated the pace on the four-year-old gelding and looked to have the race at his mercy in the final furlong. However, Railway Rule the 15/8 favourite, was starting to close but lugged in behind the leader approaching the line and went down by three parts of a length and a neck as Brogine (16/1 from 201/ on debut) stayed on stoutly to deprive him of second.

Dessie Hughes said: “It’s great to win a bumper with him. I bought him as a yearling at Goffs. He was too one-paced on the flat so I kept persevering with him until it was time to run in bumpers.

“He’ll go hurdling and he’ll go on heavy ground. He was second in Punchestown and ran on heavy ground in a hurdle at Naas so he’s fine for the winter.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson