Breath digs Deep under Smullen

Joe Murphy recorded his second winner of the week at Galway, as his Deep Breath stayed on best to win the Galway Shopping Centre Irish EBF Nursery Handicap.

Successful on debut at Fairyhouse last month, the daughter of Bated Breath then caught the eye when a staying on third on her last start at the Curragh.

Sent off the 3/1 second favourite this afternoon she was settled behind the leaders by Pat Smullen.

She was pushed along on the approach to the straight, and was only fourth with a furlong left to race. However she hit top gear in the closing stages, staying on best to score by a neck. Mount Wellington (6/1) finished second under Donnacha O'Brien for his father Aidan, while the well-backed 9/4 favourite Sebastiano Ricci (8s this morning and from 3s on-course) was another head back in third for Wayne Lordan and Joseph O'Brien.

Murphy, who was successful with Shekiba on Tuesday and hit the bar twice with Swamp Fox, said afterwards: "It's better to win by a neck than be beaten a neck! Pat said that she is a very genuine filly.

"That's as slow as she wants it. She wants better ground and I think she is a filly that may improve with age. Her heart got her there."

Smullen added: "I'm very glad that Joe gave me the opportunity to ride her. I've been riding winners for Joe a long time and she seemed to be well in today.

"She overcame a lot in that race to win, there was a lot of knocking around to say the least. When we got clear in the straight, she was all heart and got to the line really strong.

"As a two-year-old if they don't have the heart in these conditions they won't climb the hill, but she would have went up it twice."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee