Pink Hat takes the last for Willie & Patrick

The first three in the betting battled out the finish of the bumper at Kilbeggan, the Tom Birmingham Menswear Flat Race, with the second choice of punters, Pink Hat scoring on her debut for Willie and Patrick Mullins.

The five-year-old daughter of Presenting is a half-sister to smart stable mate Tasitiocht, and she cost €54,000 at Tattersalls last June.

Sent to post at 5/2, she chased the leaders for much of the contest and was fifth at the halfway stage.

She made headway into second two furlongs out, contesting the lead a furlong from home with Alton Bay and Back Before Dawn before asserting in the closing stages, going on to score by two lengths.

Alton Bay was sent off the 2/1 favourite (opened at 9/4 on-course), but he had to settle for second under Jane Mangan for Peter Fahey, while Back Before Dawn (11/4) was just a neck back in third under Mikey Fogarty for Dessie Hughes.

Patrick Mullins said afterwards: "She was very green. My mother (winning owner Jackie Mullins) bought her as a broodmare as I think she is from the family of Morley Street and Granville Again.

"She is not the biggest but she could go for a winners bumper and there is great programme of races for mares over hurdles."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee