Pluto stars on the opening night

Plutorius showed the benefit of his debut at Down Royal last month when getting off the mark in the opening race of the four-day Killarney July meeting - the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden - for the father and son team of Aidan and Joseph O'Brien.

Bred by former Turf Club official Percy Banahan, the 7/2 chance made most of the running and kept on well under pressure to beat another Holy Roman Emperor colt Alkazim (7/4 fav) by a length and a quarter.

Joseph O'Brien, who carried 3lb overweight, said: “Full credit to the track as the ground is absolutely beautiful. He had a little bit of trouble around the bends which are quite tight, and hopefully he'll keep improving now.”

The field was reduced to six runners as Galilean Rebel (change in ground) and the injured Coppertop were non-runners.

Alan Magee