Wonderful beats Mona Brown at Killarney in the opener© Photo Healy Racing
Red-hot Joseph O’Brien stuck again with a winner on board his father’s Wonderful after a battle with Kevin Manning and Mona Brown in the final two furlongs of the three-year-old fillies maiden at Killarney.
It was the jockey’s ninth winner in the last five days and also Aidan O’Brien’s 12th winner in the last two weeks.
Wonderful and Mona Brown hit the front with two furlongs to go in the extended mile contest and it was the former, along the far rail, who came out on top by three parts of a length.
She was nicely backed from 2/1 in the morning down to an SP of 13/8, but didn’t go off favourite as Mona Brown went off 6/4 for Jim Bolger.
Mick Halford’s Hayloft fourth in a Leopardstown maiden in June, ran a nice race in third at 5/1, however she was five lengths in arrears of Mona Brown.
“The ground is much the same as last night. I thought it might have dried up a bit more,” Joseph O’Brien said.
“This filly is starting to get the hang of racing and she tries hard which is a big help.”
The daughter of Galileo is obviously highly thought of as she still retains an entry in the Irish Oaks this Sunday.
With this win Joseph O’Brien pulled level with Pat Smullen at the top of the jockeys title race on 37 winners, one ahead of Wayne Lordan.
Aidan O'Brien has a 30% strike-rate with his runners at Killarney since 2006.
Michael Graham (on course reporting by Alan Magee)
