Duke eyes Britannia for The Mouse Doctor

Early birds snapped up the morning price of 8/1 on The Mouse Doctor and they were rewarded as he pipped Aspen Mountain by a short head in Killarney.

In this handicap over a mile, Kevin Manning settled him in fourth and the pair were fifth at the halfway point.

Manning went for the whip with over three furlongs to race and his mount started to pick up with less than a quarter of a mile to go.

His sustained progress saw him almost on terms on the outer at the furlong marker as Protocol led narrowly on the rail from Spruce Meadown between horses.

The Mouse Doctor took over inside the final 150 yards and was driven out to just hold Aspen Mountain who finished with a rattle to almost get up.

The winner wasn't as popular at the track as he went off at 8/1 with Aspen Mountain returned the 7/4 favourite.

Protocol came in a length and a quarter further back at 8/1.

Handler Brendan Duke said: "This is a good horse and I'd love to think he is a Britannia (Handicap at Royal Ascot) horse. He'd need to be rated 88 but 86 got in last year.

"As long as we are all safe and sound, he'll run in a ten furlong race at the Curragh at the weekend. I think he will need to stay nine furlongs to win the Britannia."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes