Smooth success for smart Savante

Savante bounced back from a disappointing effort at Killarney as she comfortably accounted for 10 rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle.

An impressive winner on debut at Punchestown in June, the Colm Murphy-trained five-year-old since finished down the field when odds-on at Killarney.

Starting off over flights this afternoon and returned the 8/11 favourite, the Paul McKeon-owned victor was never far from the pace under Conor Stone-Walsh.

Travelling best and improving into a share of the lead on the approach to two out, she soon took over from the front-running Cool Park and stretched clear on the run-in to score by six-and-a-half lengths.

The aforementioned Cool Park (5/2) filled the runner-up spot under Paul Townend while outsider Vroomvroomboo (80/1) was a further 13 lengths back in third.

Regarding her last run, Murphy explained: "Do you know when you do something and you know you shouldn't have done it, that’s the best way of describing it."

He then added: "I'm delighted with her and I think she is a nice filly. Conor said she was still plenty green, it was only her third run.

"The Grade 3 race in the north (the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Feathard Lady Mares Novice Hurdle) is probably the plan for her now. We will see how she is after this.

"If she hadn't come here today, I would have worked her tomorrow, but I wanted to see her do that today, that’s what we hoped she would do."