Johanna Walsh steps up to deliver effortless Irish Oaks success

Johanna Walsh proved a more than able deputy for her stablemate Thundering On as she ran out a facile winner of the Juddmonte Irish Oaks.

Thundering On blew her rivals away in the Oaks at Epsom last month and while she had since proved no match for top-class older mare Estrange in the Pretty Polly Stakes, she was well fancied to complete a Classic double on home soil, only to be declared a non-runner on Saturday morning.

Despite her absence, Joseph O’Brien still fired a twin assault in his bid for an Oaks double of his own, with Johanna Walsh – runner-up to the reopposing Earth Shot in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot last month – joined by the unbeaten Rebel Moon.

Johanna Walsh was a well backed 7-2 shot in the hands of Dylan Browne McMonagle and after tracking the Ballydoyle pacemakers into the home straight, she opened up from two furlongs down to leave the chasing pack trailing in her wake, with four lengths the winning margin.

David Menuisier’s French Oaks third Inis Mor was best of the rest in second ahead of Sparan Nua in third and Rebel Moon in fourth.