Ob La Di and Ben Coen © Photo Healy Racing
Despite appearing to be up against it on official ratings, the Johnny Murtagh trained Ob La Di defied her mark to run out a game winner of the Gibneys Gormanston Fillies & Mares Maiden at Bellewstown.
Rated 77, the daughter of Blue Point looked to face a stiff task taking on both Rubies Are Red (97) and Realt Na Ri (84).
The latter two fillies went head-to-head for much of the contest, as Ben Coen sat back in third on the eventual winner.
Realt Na Ri was the first of the leading duo to crack, weakening over 3f out, as Wayne Lordan kicked on aboard Rubies Are Red.
Ob La Di went second entering the straight, heading the leader over a furlong out before staying on to hold the strong late burst of Market Timing by half-a-length.
Johnny Murtagh said: "When I entered her, I thought 'gees she would have a great chance of winning a race', but when you see the standard of race. It looked a very, very competitive race, but this is a filly we always thought a lot of at the start of the year.
"She goes through the soft ground well and it was a good performance.
"I just put the cheekpieces on for this track, it is a sharp track. I put them on her and she probably didn't need them, but around here just put them on her to help her on this track.
"She is going the right way and I think she is a filly for the future.
"We might give her one more run this year. She has won her maiden now and we'll look for a bit of black-type."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham
