Green Carrera lands Thurles curtain raiser for McMonagle Dylan Browne McMonagle extended his lead at the head of the jockeys championship to six, when guiding the Joseph O'Brien trained Green Carrera to a narrow success in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Thurles. Sixth on her debut at Gowran Park last month, the daughter of Lope De Vega took a significant step forward from that run on this second start. Tracking the leaders under McMonagle, the 7/2 chance moved third entering the home straight. Pushed along to dispute two furlongs out, Green Carrera soon headed market leader Cape Primrose. Ridden to assert at the furlong pole, the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede owned filly kept on well to score by half-a-length. Stable representative Kevin Blake reported: "She shaped well first time and you always hope they come forward. She stepped forward really well, she battled hard and while I'd say the runner-up had a look, our filly was good and tough. "The double-green (owners) have had a great year with Joseph so this is great. "I thought all of Joseph's runners ran really well, to varying levels. At this time of year, there are plenty who would be real three-year-old types and I thought Johanna Walsh (third) shaped really well as her lack of experience probably cost her. "All that is left for the winner is the Silken Glider Stakes, so we'll see what Joseph thinks and I assume the other maidens will now go to Dundalk." Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.
