Murtagh’s classic imperfection

YESTERDAY may have won the Entenmann’s Irish Oaks at the Curragh, but the real story of this classic was the performance of Johnny Murtagh aboard Six Perfections.

The daughter of Celtic Swing was the unluckiest loser of the season, any season, in the English equivalent at Newmarket, when partnered by Thierry Thulliez. The unfortunate French jockey found every bit of trouble that was going at Newmarket and was jocked-off in favour of former Irish champion, Murtagh. Little did connections know that they were going from the frying pan into the fire. Murtagh is a top class international pilot, with a superb big-race record, but this is one race he will never want mentioned again.

He had Six Perfections locked away on the inside for most of the journey and she had nowhere to go when the the pace quickened.L’ancresse carried them along, until Dimitrova made the burst for home at the two furlong pole.