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Donal Murphy

Donal Murphy

Great performance by Oak in Tipp opener

Sun 22nd Jul 2012, 15:02

False Economy (nearest) & Great Oak jump the last togetherFalse Economy (nearest) & Great Oak jump the last together
© Photo Healy Racing

The John Nicholson trained mare Great Oak under Mark Enright got the better of 1-2 favourite False Economy in the opening race at Tipperary this afternoon, the Packie Downey Memorial Chase.

The 6yo daughter of Dushyantor led into the straight and fended off the challenge of False Economy & Ruby Walsh on the run-in to score by a length and a quarter.

Sent off at 5/1, the winner has improved significantly since going chasing and after winning her beginners chase on her second attempt at Wexford in June she ran well to finish a close second to Raptor on her last start again at Wexford.

Her trainer John Nicholson said afterwards: "She carries me around every day so she must be a good horse.

"My gallops were washed away with the weather so we depended a lot on Michelle Gannon’s gallops.

"She takes her racing well and jumps fences better than she jumped hurdles.

"We have an excuse to go to Galway now and she will go for the 2m 6f race or 2m 1f condtions race.

"She will probably go for the latter as I’m not sure she would get 2m 6f."

Out Now & Uncle Tom Cobley were earlier taken out due to unfavourable ground conditions.

About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.