Msmilan justifies favouritism Msmilan justified favouritism in the Griffith College Mares Novice Hurdle, scoring under Paddy Kennedy for Jessica Harrington. Successful in a maiden hurdle at Navan in April, the daughter of Milan was then well-beaten at the Punchestown Festival. She was sixth on her handicap debut at Tipperary in May, going down by half a length on her most recent outing in a novice contest at Roscommon earlier this month. Sent off the 11/8 favourite this evening she was settled in fourth, improving a place into third before three out. She was pushed along after that flight, and went second before the next. The Michael O'Neill owned victor jumped into a dispute of the lead at the last, and she kept on well on the run-in, going on to score by three and three parts of a length. The front-running Genesta (backed from 3's to 15/8 on-course) had to settle for second under Danny Mullins for his mother Mags. The front two went five and a half lengths clear of Aunt Eileen who ran a cracker to finish third on her debut. Paddy Kennedy, whose brother Jack won this first, said afterwards: "I thought I had the other one (Genesta) covered coming down to the last but she idled a little bit in front. "She'll jump a fence in time and I'm not sure where she'll run next but Jessie might want to look at black-type over hurdles for her at some stage." Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
