CURRAGH REPORT:JOHNNY MURTAGH secured a 113 to 1 treble at the Curragh yesterday, including winning on his first mount for Aidan O'Brien in his new role as number one jockey at Ballydoyle, but the former champion jockey did miss out in the Group Three feature behind Marjalina.
Declan McDonogh was at his most persuasive on board Marjalina who was a neck too good for the Murtagh-ridden Savethisdanceforme at the finish of the Lodge Park Stud Park Express Stakes.
There was enough in the display for some bookmakers to go as low as 16 to 1 about the winner for June's Epsom Oaks but significantly there was no stir in the runner-up's own classic odds for Newmarket's 1,000 Guineas in May.
Murtagh put up 2lb overweight on Savethisdanceforme who took it up under two furlongs out and looked all over the winner. However, McDonogh pounced late on Marjalina who despite running green in the closing stages stayed on too well for the 3 to 1 favourite.
"We thought she was going okay and we put her in the Oaks last week," said Marjalina's trainer Kevin Prendergast. "She was green but she was also pretty fit. She had to be to win in that ground. It's a nice surprise. I thought O'Brien's would win and we'd be thereabouts."
O'Brien confirmed that Newmarket remains a target for Savethisdanceforme whose stable companion Listen is a 7 to 1 Guineas favourite. Jim Bolger's Goffs Million winner Lush Lashes was a disappointing seventh after running freely in the early stages.
Some overweight was also a factor in a desperate finish to the Ladbrokes Irish Lincolnshire as last year's runner-up, Crooked Throw, was a head too good for the lightly weighted Vaqueras whose jockey Emmett McNamara put up a pound over.
Crooked Throw had to survive a stewards inquiry into possible interference in the last 100 yards and also overcame what Charlie Swan felt was very bad draw in stall one. "I thought he had no chance when I saw where he was drawn and I was thinking of taking him out!" admitted the trainer. But he's a great old servant who loves this heavy ground."
The French-trained Estrela Brage finished fifth on the back of a Turf Club decision over the weekend to reassess his handicap mark for the race by 9lb more.
Earlier Georgebernardshaw got Aidan O'Brien's 2008 campaign off to a winning start as the 5 to 1 shot sluiced up by three lengths in the three year old maiden. "He's a big strong horse who could be one to follow through the year," said Murtagh who had flown in from a two month stint riding in Dubai.
"I haven't been to Ballydoyle yet but I'm told the horses are in good form so the next month should be interesting."
Snaefell had a much harder job in the six-furlong handicap but Murtagh's mount battled very bravely under 9st 13lb to repel the British-trained pair, Raptor and Northern Dare. "It's wonderful to have Johnny back and it is terrific for him to get the job he has," said Snaefell's trainer Michael Halford.
"But we hope to keep the association going when circumstances allow. It was good to have him today."
Poet repelled the newcomer Kargali by half a length in the concluding maiden after making most of the running under Ballydoyle's new stable jockey and earned 33 to 1 Derby quotes from some firms.
The first two-year-old race of the season saw a good old fashioned gamble landed as Cool Tarifa beat Comadoir by a length and a half after being backed from 16 to 1 into 6 to 1. "Hopefully she will be an Ascot type. She has a touch of class. The Swordlestown could be a race for her before Ascot," said trainer James Burns.
