Few stables could deal with losing Thundering On from the G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks picture on the morning of the race, but Joseph O'Brien brushed off that disappointment, saddled Johanna Walsh (Sea The Stars) and enjoyed a clear-cut win regardless.Proving more than an able deputy for the Oaks heroine when registering a four-length success in the Curragh Classic, Wells Watson's Ribblesdale runner-up who was purchased for €460,000 at Goffs Orby Book 1 by Andrew Cary was adding more stardust to her trainer's already stellar campaign.“It was unreal,” Dylan Browne McMonagle said after steering the easy winner only a matter of hours from learning that the yard's Oaks-winning daughter of Frankel was off her feed and out of the contest as Saturday dawned. “She was very straightforward from the get-go and relaxed good. She's a filly with a lot of gears and put the race to bed in a matter of strides.”“She was cherry-ripe for the day and wasn't a bad substitute! I thought she was a little bit better than she showed at Ascot and it was push-button stuff today,” he added of the 7-2 second favourite. “She is improving with each run and handles this fast ground well–she is a filly with a lot of class. We had three good fillies in it and with Thundering On being a little bit special it is hard to know what she would have done, but it's all worked out in my favour today.”Enjoying the perfect tow into the race from four of the Ballydoyle quintet, Johanna Walsh who was having only the fifth run of her career was able to take total control two out and surge to an emphatic success. Following her home were the supplemented trio of Inis Mor (Galiway), Sparan Nua (Dawn Approach) and Rebel Moon (Lope De Vega), all of whom closed from rear after the winner had flown with 3/4 of a length separating the Menuisier and Bolger fillies and Johanna Walsh's stablemate half a length further away. Earth Shot (Time Test), the 9-4 favourite following the withdrawal of Thundering On, was the race's disappointment in a well-beaten sixth.Joseph O'Brien has the pick of the middle-distance three-year-old fillies and said, “It was a huge performance–from the three to the two she really came alive and is a hugely exciting filly for the future. We thought we had a messy enough trip at Ascot and Dylan said she was waiting all way up the straight there, but it was messy for Earth Shot too so it was hard to quantify. On that, we thought she was a real live contender and I'm delighted for Wells Watson and Andrew Cary. She has a big pedigree and it's a pleasure to get the opportunity to train her. Sadly, neither are here today.”Johanna Walsh, who had been third behind her stablemate and future Royal Ascot scorer Green Carrera on her sole juvenile start at Thurles in October, had looked pretty far from Oaks-winning material when in that position again behind Rebel Moon at Gowran in April. As can happen with such a classically-bred individual, a maiden win at Leopardstown in May transformed her and there had been only a head between her and Earth Shot in the key three-year-old fillies' middle-distance contest at the Royal meeting.What would have transpired had Thundering On line up here remains an unknown, but this was an imperious display from the winner and it is difficult to envisage the Epsom heroine being able to handle her. The time of 2:28.49 was the fastest in the race since Shawanda set the record in 2005 and the fourth-fastest in its history.“I thought Dylan gave her a fantastic ride because he controlled the whole race,” the trainer added. “It's really special to win a Classic here in Ireland and great for the team to have two impressive Oaks winners. This is what we are in the game for and this is why we do what we do. She's had a busy first part of the season, so we'll probably give her a little freshen up now and focus on an autumn campaign. It's disappointing that Thundering On couldn't be here, but she will be back for the autumn too.”Johanna Walsh skips clear and lands the €500,000 @JuddmonteFarms Irish Oaks in style!No Thundering On – but another fillies' Classic for @josephobrien2 and @DylanBrowneMcM @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/Dcrg4tSQK0— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 18, 2026The post ‘Not A Bad Substitute!’: McMonagle Wins Irish Oaks On Wells Watson’s Johanna Walsh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.