Morning sends favourite backers home happy

Morning Run sent favourite backers home happy as she took the last at Down Royal, the Quilter Cheviot INH Flat Race, scoring under Patrick Mullins for his father Willie.

This daughter of King's Theatre (a second winner at the meeting for the ill-fated sire) won the valuable ITBA Fillies Scheme Premier Bumper on her debut at the Punchestown Festival last month, and she was sent off the 8/13 clear favourite (opened 8/11 on-course) to follow-up this evening.

Settled in second the Henry Murphy owned five-year-old made smooth progress to lead over two furlongs out and once driven from over a furlong out she kept on well to score by two and three parts of a length. Port Rock who won a point-to-point at Ballingarry earlier this month, ran a fine race to finish second under Jamie Codd for Paul Flynn at 10/1, while Honkytonktennessee was a further three and a half lengths back in third under Nina Carberry for Charlie Swan at 8/1.

Patrick Mullins said afterwards: "I didn't want to use the whip on her as she had been quite keen as someone clipped her heel after a furlong.

"I thought it was a good performance as she ran off the bend. We had her brother and sister - Morning Royalty and Morning Supreme - and she's my favourite of the three.

"I wouldn't be afraid to go anywhere with her against mares. She might go for the bumper that Annie Power won at Galway.

"The owner Henry Murphy is from Wexford and he bred her. He's a very good breeder."

Additional reporting by Michael Graham