Star makes the breakthrough

Simply A Star got off the mark on her sixth career start as she took the opener at Tipperary, the McGrath Oil Maiden, scoring under Seamie Heffernan for Aidan O’Brien.

The daughter of Giant’s Causeway was placed on her last four starts and she finished second behind Accepted in the Listed Excelebration Tipperary Stakes over the course and distance last month.

Sent off the 5/4 favourite this evening she was prominent throughout on the outer and hit the front over a furlong from home.

She was ridden from there and stretched clear inside the final furlong, going on to score comfortably by three lengths. Sassy But Classy kept on to take second under Shane Foley for David Marnane at 8/1 while Well Done Me was a further three parts of a length back in third.

Aidan O’Brien said afterwards: "She disappointed us the last day but she had a good run here before then. She is a well-bred filly and blackprint would be important to her so we will probably go back for a stakes race again."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes