Buttercup dances in for Patrick Mullins

After her fine second in the Ascot Stakes on her previous outing, Buildmeupbuttercup (1/2 fav) looked to have the Play The Tote Trifecta (Q.R.) Maiden at her mercy, and so it proved as she was pretty much a steering job for winning rider Patrick Mullins.

She cruised to the front turning into the home straight, and wasn’t at all hard pressed to defeat Run For Mary (7/2) by four and-a-half lengths with third home Hasankey (10/1) eleven lengths further back.

The six-year-old mare by Sixties Icon was giving winning trainer Willie Mullins a double on the evening, and a third successive win in this race following Diamond Hill last year and Exchange Rate in 2017.

Willie Mullins later commented: "It was just whether she would come back from two and a half miles to one and a half or handle the hill and she did everything.

“We’ll see how she comes out of this before deciding on whether she runs again here on Friday (entered in two races) and what penalties she gets. If she’s sound we’ll be keen enough to run her.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee