Falmouth win perfect for Murtagh

Racing:  Johnny Murtagh gave Simply Perfect a well-judged ride to make every yard of the running in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket…

Racing: Johnny Murtagh gave Simply Perfect a well-judged ride to make every yard of the running in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.

Murtagh bounced last year's Fillies' Mile winner out of the stalls and she never saw another rival throughout the Group One contest.

The 6-1 chance had a length to spare over South African raider Irridescence, with Arch Swing a neck away in third.

Simply Perfect finished third behind Finsceal Beo in the 1000 Guineas earlier in the season but was then stepped up to 12 furlongs to claim sixth in the Vodafone Oaks at Epsom.

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But Noseda dropped back to a mile here and Murtagh demonstrated some shrewd tactics as he steadied the pace at halfway before kicking on again at the furlong pole.

Nannina was sent off the 5-2 favourite but she failed to figure while Red Evie was also disappointing.

Murtagh said: "I didn't think there was going to be much pace in the race so I thought she might get an easy lead.

"Jeremy thought she might be a bit keen but I told him she would settle. She was looking round a bit but she was all go and when I got to the three pole, I thought 'she isn't going to get beat today'."

Noseda added: "Great credit to Johnny. He said he wanted to make it, she would settle well and it would suit her in front.

"He had the plan and I said 'if you believe it, we will leave it with you'. He deserves a huge amount of credit.

"She is a very tough filly. She has been going since before Royal Ascot last year and she has now won a Group One at two and three."