McMonagle riding the crest of a wave – now for the Derby Life could not be going much better for Dylan Browne McMonagle who showed experience way beyond his tender years to win a first British Classic on Thundering On in the Betfred Oaks. Already Ireland’s champion jockey, the 23-year-old’s association with Joseph O’Brien is paying off handsomely for both. A Breeders’ Cup winner on Willie Mullins’ Ethical Diamond, McMonagle dropped his mount out last in the early stages and barely moved a muscle as she cruised upsides John and Thady Gosden’s Legacy Link before pulling eyecatchingly clear. “I was trying to save as much as I could coming up the hill, but she did everything very easily. She was very comfortable the whole way through the race,” said the man from Donegal. “She’s got a lot of speed, she’s a strong traveller and it didn’t surprise me to be honest, she’s been working really well. The trip was an unknown, but she got it well. The sky is the limit. “If I’d pushed the button a bit earlier, she’d have won by even further. When I gave her the office, she just sprinted away.” He added: “It’s been a great year, winning my first championship was very special at home, that was a childhood dream. The Breeders’ Cup was extra special and out in Hong Kong I learned plenty and I’m looking forward to going back there next winter. “She’s very exciting for the rest of the year the way she did that, she can go anywhere.” That might not be it for the jockey and trainer, however, as they also have a leading contender for the Derby in James J Braddock. McMonagle said: “Tomorrow (Derby) is the big one and that is the headline for everyone. To be riding in it and have a live chance is exciting. We’ll worry about today, get it over and done with and focus on tomorrow then. “He’s an improving horse, it’s a competitive race, but if he gets a good set-up I think the ground will be fine for him and the trip will be good as well. He’s a horse with plenty of class and he’s got the same kind of profile as the filly. “You never know, if you’re not in you can’t win and we’ll give it our best go.” Of his partnership with O’Brien, he said: “It’s unreal and his results speak for themselves. He’s different class and I’m very, very lucky to be there. “From when I was an apprentice all the way through he’s been a huge supporter of mine, backed me all the way through and putting the faith in me in these big races is what every jockey needs to get to the next level. “Thankfully he’s backed me and I’m glad I can reward him with these kind of winners.” O’Brien, meanwhile, is very much a chip off the old block and is building a CV that might one day match his record-breaking father, Aidan. He has already won won the Melbourne Cup twice, had Breeders’ Cup winners, Group Ones in France, Germany and won the St Leger with Galileo Chrome. This, though, was a vital win for owner-breeder Shapoor Mistry. O’Brien said: “You never expect to win a Classic the way she did. “She’s always shown a lot of speed in the mornings and her dam just got 10 furlongsm so we weren’t so sure about the distance. We’d been thinking about going to France for the Prix de Diane, that was always the plan really, but given the way she was training, Shapoor and Pallon (son of owner) and Anthony Stroud were very keen to come to Epsom. “The closer we got to Epsom the more convinced we all became that it was worth giving Epsom a go. So we did, and I’m glad we did! “It’s special, it’s very hard to get a filly or a colt good enough to run in a Classic. We had the dam Thundering Nights who won the Pretty Polly and this is her first foal by Frankel. Unfortunately she died after that so for her only foal, a daughter of Frankel, to win the Oaks is very special. Hopefully she can keep the family in the spotlight for some time.” As for the man on board he said: “Dylan has been a big part of our team for a number of years now, he’s champion jockey and has now won a Classic, it’s a great day for us all. “It was an easy watch, really – she was a very impressive winner.”
