Search
Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
- Home
- News
Donal Murphy
Foster working her Magic on Julia's
Julia's Magic and Oisin Orr lead home Early Call
© Photo Healy Racing
Julia's Magic followed-up on her win at Dundalk in November, as she took the Meridian Security Handicap under Oisin Orr for Denise 'Sneezy' Foster.
Successful on her sixth start at Dundalk, the daughter of Dandy Man was sent off at 16/1 today.
Prominent on the inner, the Mrs Ian Fox owned filly was ridden from two furlongs out.
She responded well to pressure from the furlong pole, and led inside the final 100 yards, keeping on from there to score by three parts of a length.
The Michael Mulvany duo of Early Call (14/1) and Premier League (12/1) dead-heated for second, with Snow Patch (20/1) completing the placings another length and a quarter back in fourth. Art Of Unity was sent off the well-backed 5/1 favourite (from 12s this morning and from 8s on-course), and he finished fifth.
Foster said afterwards: "I only have five in training but if they can run to the best of their ability that's all you can ask. They are all fillies.
"Merited ran well in Cork last night (finished third) and is pretty much on a par with Julia's Magic even though she is three. Merited is five but she thinks she is two!
"Julia's Magic is stronger this year. Six is really her distance and she will come on a lot from that race. The hill helped her and when she changed legs she kind of got into another gear."
The winner is a half-sister to Lily's Rainbow who won three times for Foster, with her biggest success coming in the Listed Heritage Stakes at Navan in 2016.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee