Johanna Walsh Streaks Clear to Win Irish Oaks

Johanna Walsh (IRE) proved an able deputy for Joseph O'Brien by landing the Irish Oaks (G1) July 18 at the Curragh. Her trainer had suffered a blow early in the day when he was forced to scratch Epsom Oaks (G1) winner and favorite Thundering On (GB) because she was reportedly off her feed. But apparent second-string Johanna Walsh put a smile back on his face by landing the prize impressively. The winner was having her first run in group 1 company, and only her fifth overall, having been caught close to home in the Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot last month. Dylan Browne McMonagle sent the 7-2 shot to the front early in the straight and she never looked like being caught. Runner-up Inis Mor (FR) was 4 lengths adrift at the line, with another three-quarters of a length back to Sparan Nua (IRE) in third. "That was unreal," the winning jockey said. "It was very straightforward from the get go. I was always in control of the race. "She's a filly with a lot of gears and when I pushed the button she put the race to be within a couple of strides and she powered away. She wasn't a bad substitute." The 9-4 favorite Earth Shot (IRE), who finished only sixth, had beaten Johanna Walsh at Ascot but McMonagle said: "I thought mine was probably a little bit better than that with the way the race panned out. "She was unbelievable today, it was push-button stuff. Thundering On is obviously a little bit special, it's hard to know what she would have done the way this one performed, but thankfully it worked out."