Johanna Walsh Capitalized on Thundering On's Defection to Authoritatively Conquer the Irish Oaks
- Turf Diario
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
The Joseph O'Brien's trainee inherited the spotlight following the unexpected scratch of the Epsom Oaks winner and responded with an outstanding performance at The Curragh, where she secured her first G1 victory.
COUNTY KILDARE, Ireland (Special to Turf Diario).- Destiny opened a door, and Johanna Walsh wasted no time stepping through it. Following the unexpected eleventh-hour scratch of Epsom Oaks (G1) heroine Thundering On(Night of Thunder), the daughter of Sea The Stars assumed the starring role and with immense authority captured Saturday's Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1), contested over the 2400 meters at The Curragh.
Trained by Joseph O'Brien and ridden with complete serenity by Dylan Browne McMonagle, the filly took command of the race at the 400-meter mark and drew off to score by 4 lengths over Inis Mor (Galiway), while Sparan Nua(Dawn Approach) and Re Moon (Lope de Vega) completed the top frames. The favorite Earth Shot (Time Test), who had inherited that status after the defection of Thundering On, was never competitive and finished a distant sixth.
The news of Thundering On's withdrawal sent shockwaves through the morning when O'Brien's team noticed that the English Oaks winner had gone off her feed and decided not to risk her. Far from seeing his hopes dashed, the trainer found an immediate answer in Johanna Walsh, who confirmed all the positive signs she had shown throughout the season.
"It was a huge performance. Between the 600 and the 400 meters, she really found another gear and showed all her quality. At Ascot, we thought she endured a complicated trip, and today she proved she was a very serious contender," explained O'Brien, who has now conditioned two impressive Oaks winners this year.
McMonagle was equally full of praise for his partner's attitude: "She was incredible. From the gates, she made everything so easy, relaxed perfectly, and when I asked her for an effort, she responded immediately. She has so many gears and put the race to bed in a matter of seconds," the jockey commented.
The winner had arrived at The Curragh on the heels of a runner-up finish in the Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, where she had been edged out by a mere head by Earth Shot—a rival she comprehensively turned the tables on this time around. That performance had already convinced her connections that she was ready to compete at the highest level.
The progression of Johanna Walsh has been remarkable. After closing out her 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish and repeating that placing in her spring reappearance, a straightforward maiden victory at Leopardstown completely changed her outlook. Since then, she has done nothing but improve until reaching her first stakes success.
The final time of 2m28s49/100 further underscored the value of her achievement. It was the fastest clocking recorded in the Irish Oaks since the record set by Shawanda (Sinndar) in 2005 and the fourth-fastest time in the history of the race.
O'Brien indicated that the filly will now be given a brief freshening before tackling an autumn campaign, while Thundering On is also expected to return to action during the second half of the season.
Bred by Mezeray and Skymarc Farm, Johanna Walsh also became the third Irish Oaks winner for Sea The Stars, following in the footsteps of Sea Of Class (2018) and Star Catcher (2019). Hailing from one of the deepest female families in Europe, the winner confirmed that she possesses a massive future and delivered another statement victory for a Joseph O'Brien stable that is currently enjoying one of the finest runs in its history.
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