'When she learns to sprint she could be good' - progressive Oujda one to follow for Johnny Murtagh

Johnny Murtagh may well have a useful sprinting mare in his care in the shape of Oujda after she landed the feature Listed race in the hands of Shane Foley.

The daughter of Sioux Nation is a four-time winner in France and was having her third run for Murtagh after running well in a Group 3 race here last week. She appreciated this drop in class to come out on top in a good battle inside the final furlong, seeing off the front-running Ano Syra by half a length. 

It is a big weekend for Murtagh, who saddles Hanalia in Sunday's Prix de l'Opera, and Oujda's win seemed to rank as a pleasant surprise.

Foley said: "She ran well last week, she travelled away but they just quickened away from her in a stronger race. Today I rode her more forward and she enjoyed it. She travelled strongly and stays well, she's just stepped forward, mentally as well, as she had a nice blow last week.

"She has no difficulty travelling behind them over six furlongs and I would say that's a good trip for her. When she gets proper slow ground there could be more improvement in her as she has a big stride and it pays to let her use it. I would say when she learns to sprint she could be good."

O'Brien on top

Aidan O'Brien could hardly have warmed up for Arc day any better with a Saturday Longchamp four-timer, but he kept the home fires burning too as he landed the opening two juvenile maidens.

A beaten odds-on favourite when running into stablemate Bedtime Story in a Leopardstown maiden in June, the reappearance of Giselle took another four months but it proved worth the wait as the daughter of Frankel ran out an impressive winner of the fillies' maiden under Wayne Lordan.

Cantering over her opposition from some way out, she got to the front soon enough in all likelihood, and in the end she was doing little more than she had to in beating the strong-finishing debutante The Palace Girl by a comfortable three quarters of a length.

Giselle: claims a maiden success at the second attempt under Wayne LordanCredit: Patrick McCann

"She is a smashing filly with a lot of class," said assistant trainer Chris Armstrong. "There was a lot of hype about her after the last day but she has come on a lot physically since then and she is going to be a smashing sort for next year. 

"We'll see how she comes out of this and decide whether to get one more run into her this year. She was only just ready to start again and she was very fresh today, but Wayne said she was only doing a half-speed the whole way. She is a big filly with a huge engine and we're looking forward to next season"

O'Brien ran three Wootton Bassett newcomers in the opening 7f maiden and filled the first two places as Expanded, also ridden by Lordan, got up close to home to see off stablemate First Wave in the hands of Jack Cleary.

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