Oisin Murphy continues a family connection with Listed win on Miaharris

Oisin Murphy explained that he knew quite a bit about Miaharris despite it being his first public outing on Owen Burrows’ promising juvenile as she maintained her unbeaten record in the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing St Hugh's Stakes at Newbury.

The daughter of Zoustar was, in fact, the third half-sister out of the same mare that he had won a decent race aboard, and the second at stakes level. In his role as retained jockey to Qatar Racing, Murphy was beaten a short head in the 2016 Albany Stakes aboard Bletchley and four years later won the Listed Empress Fillies' Stakes with Time Scale. He has also ridden several other male siblings.

All three fillies were sired by Tweenhills stallions, with the prolific mare, An Ghalanta, being bought by the stud’s supremo David Redvers for €140,000 at Goffs in 2012. Trained and bred by Jim Bolger, An Ghalanta is a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor who won the Listed Curragh Stakes in a busy juvenile campaign.

Miaharris is her eighth foal, bought for 210,000gns by Ted Durcan for owner Olly Harris at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. She had been presented by Longways Stables, having been recruited for €60,000 at Goffs Orby, and added to a debut victory at Sandown in dramatic style as she flashed past Majestic Beauty close home.

"I rode her in the spring at Longways, for Mick Murphy and Sarah [O’Connell] and, she was very nice," Murphy told Racing TV. "We had the half-sisters and they were nice types.

"There was a pace collapse late on but she hit the line with a little bit left so, wherever connections go next, you’d think she’d have a big chance."

Miaharris is a January-born filly and so are the next two to come from the mare, a yearling filly and colt foal both by Tweenhills resident Kameko.

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