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Donal Murphy

Donal Murphy

Discipline gets the job done in the Oaks Trial

Wed 22nd Jun 2016, 20:12

Discipline is ridden out by Pat SmullenDiscipline is ridden out by Pat Smullen
© Photo Healy Racing

Discipline justified odds-on favouritism in the feature at Naas, the Listed Coral.ie EBF Naas Oaks Trial.

Having impressed on her debut at Gowran in April, she then went down by a head to Bocca Baciata in a Listed contest at the Co Kilkenny venue.

Available at 2/1 last night, that price was quickly snapped up, and the Dermot Weld trained bay opened on-course at evens, before going off the 9/10 clear favourite.

Settled in second by Pat Smullen, the daughter of Dansili travelled strongly from three furlongs out, and was ridden to lead inside the final furlong, keeping on well in the closing stages to prevail by half a length.

The front-running Earring (5/1) looked a sitting duck from two furlongs out, but to her credit she battled all the way to the line, finishing second under Seamie Heffernan for Aidan O'Brien.

O'Brien also saddled the third horse home, and that was How High The Moon (14's to 9's on-course) who was three parts of a length back under Colm O'Donoghue.

Dermot Weld said afterwards: "She is a lovely filly from a family that has been very good to us. She is a full-sister to Famous Name and there are two other half-sisters that have been major stakes winners for us.

“We will look for a Group race next. There are no definite plans but she likes a bit of space between her races. Ten furlongs is no problem to her and if she stays a mile and a half it will open up more opportunities to her."

On Harzand, Weld added: "He's well and at the moment he takes his chance. He'll be entered in the morning but, as we have seen with US Army Ranger, anything can happen."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee

1st
9/10Fav
Tote €2.00 €1.02
2nd
0.5L
5/1
€2.20
3rd
0.75L
9/1
€2.80
4th
0.5L
12/1
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.