Acula completes opening race double for O'Brien and McMonagle Having landed the opening race on the card, Joseph O'Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle doubled up as Acula justified favouritism in the the Moloney's Bar And Music Venue Maiden at the Curragh. A promising fourth on her debut at Naas earlier this month, the daughter of Sea The Stars was sent off 11/8f to make the breakthrough on this second start. Tracking the leaders in the initial stages of the race, the Newtown Anner Stud Ltd owned filly went third over a furlong from the finish. Staying on best inside the final furlong, Acula led close home to beat The Austrian by half-a-length. Joseph O'Brien said: "She had a nice debut and she came on nicely from that. It was hard going against the boys but we wanted to come to a nice track. We'll see how she pulls up and make a plan from there. I'd say the ground was probably sharp enough for her. We think that hopefully she's a filly that long term black type will be on the agenda but maybe she's just not there yet."
