Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes (Group 1)

BLUESTOCKING swooped late to grab the Group 1 honours in the Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes at a very wet Curragh on Saturday.

The Ralph Beckett-trained filly twice finished second at the highest level last term, beaten half a length in the Irish Oaks by Savethelastdance and just a neck by Poptronic in the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot.

Having opened her campaign with a six-length Middleton Stakes triumph and with the Curragh ground easing all afternoon, Bluestocking was sent off a well-supported 11/10 favourite in the hands of Rossa Ryan, who managed to get his mount settled in behind as Lumiere Rock set the early gallop.

It looked as though Kieran Shoemark had made a race-winning move as he went for home on Emily Upjohn two furlongs out, quickly building up a couple of lengths advantage.

Bluestocking was only just getting going, though, and she reeled in the leader through the final furlong, eventually passing the post half a length clear, with Content nearly four lengths further back in third.

“It was great. Rossa had an inkling that Emily Upjohn might go forward at some point. In a way it helped us, in a way it was tough for her to run down but it gave us something to aim at,” said Beckett.

“It’s great to get it done. Last Irish Oaks Day will live long in the memory for the wrong reasons but it doesn’t matter now.”

Beckett opted to leave the cheekpieces off Bluestocking this time and explained: “We thought about it but last time she travelled so well through the race we thought we’d leave them. We have the right to put them back on of course.

“I thought she was always going to get there in the end, I thought she was always going to pick up, as she finds plenty under pressure.”

On future plans Beckett added: “You’d think the Nassau [at Goodwood] is the right place to go and she clearly enjoys York, she’s run well twice there, so the Yorkshire Oaks will probably be a good idea as well.

“I don’t think trip is that important, I just think conditions have to be right and they were today.”

Bluestocking runs in the colours of Juddmonte, with the filly hailing from one of the owner-breeder’s established families.

European racing manager Barry Mahon said: “The dam (Emulous) won the Matron in Leopardstown, so she was a high-class filly. She had speed to win a Group 1 over a mile.

“Last year, we sat down at the end of the season and felt we probably stretched the filly a little bit with a mile and a half and I think she’s a revelation this year back over 10 furlongs.

Ryan, who hails from Tuam, Co Galway, and whose grandparents were among the racegoers, was thrilled to win his first Irish Group 1 race and said: “It is brilliant!

“She had to dig deep with me and I thought Kieran had gone on me. We hadn’t gone overly quick and my plan was to take a lead off one. I didn’t think I would get shuffled back that far but, by God, she’s tough.”

Airlie Stud Stakes (Group 2)

TRULY Enchanting put an unplaced Royal Ascot effort behind her with victory in the Airlie Stud Stakes.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly was returning 10 days after coming home 13th in the Queen Mary Stakes in Berkshire, but punters’ enthusiasm was undimmed as she was sent off the 2/1 market leader.

Winner of a Tipperary maiden on her first start, Truly Enchanting was suited by the step up to six furlongs here but had to work hard for a second career success as California Dreamer, who finished fifth in the Albany at Ascot eight days ago, went toe to toe from the early stages.

Leading duo

A furlong out it was clear the leading duo had the measure of the field and after racing neck and neck through the closing strides, and it was Truly Enchanting and Ryan Moore who - despite hanging off the rail - edged it by half a length, with January a further two and a quarter lengths back in third.

The race was run in wet conditions, with the ground officially changed to yielding to soft from good, good to yielding in places after the Group 2 contest.

“We thought she was a five/six furlong filly who would handle any ease in the ground,” said O’Brien. “Ryan gave her a great ride, she was very green. Conditions suited her.

“She took the race in Ascot very well. She was just a bit green and babyish in the Queen Mary. It was kind of a last-minute decision to go five with her.

“Because she had won at Tipperary, we said we’d chance it, but when she ran at Tipperary it was soft ground, so she found it a big change on the fast ground.”

Very straightforward

Referring to the winner’s tendency to hang right, O’Brien said: “Ryan gave her a great ride. He said to change the bit. She’s very straightforward at home but I suppose she was coming up there on the stand’s rail by herself.

“She runs in a happy bit, a very soft bit, and it’s as soft as you can put on them. He said to put a ring bit in her, it’ll help to keep her straight as it keeps the bit very balanced in their mouth.

“She’s not really able to catch hold of it when there is a ring on it.”

“This filly had the two runs and obviously won on soft ground first time and then went to Ascot so was probably fitter.”

Of the third-placed January, O’Brien said: “Wayne’s (Lordan) filly ran a stormer and when she steps up to seven, she’ll be lovely.”

Al Basti Equiworld International Stakes (Group 3)

JAN Brueghel finished with a flourish to deny Trustyourinstinct a Group 3 victory in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was an eight-length maiden winner at the track on his racecourse debut in May and there was plenty of confidence behind the 8/13 favourite.

Ryan Moore was happy to sit on the heels of pacesetter Trustyourinstinct but with half a mile still to run, he had to get to work on his inexperienced mount.

However, when Jan Brueghel finally hit his stride in the 10-furlong contest, he edged in front of Trustyourinstinct to prevail by a neck, although with a bit seemingly still in the tank.

Irish Derby winner

A full-brother to Irish Derby winner Sovereign (by Galileo out of Devoted To You), Jan Brueghel is now a 10/1 shot from 14s for the St Leger at Doncaster with Paddy Power.

O’Brien said: “We were worried about the ground. We knew he had improved a lot from the last day and knew he’d stay further but we weren’t sure about the ground.

“You could see him swapping and changing when he turned in and Ryan was very good on him I thought.

“He will stay much further and will be very happy going up to a mile and a half. We came here to educate him and bring him on.

“It’s hard going from a maiden straight into a group race. Joseph’s horse brought him along at an even gallop and it was a competitive race. We were delighted.

“We weren’t sure he was going to get away with it but he did and he stays very well.

Good sign

“Ryan said he was watching the photographers at the line, so he was obviously very aware of what he was doing. That’s a good sign and that means he was doing it very easy.”

Goodwood now appears a likely port of call for the winner, with the St Leger on connections’ radar, although plans have yet to be decided.

O’Brien added: “We were thinking of coming here then going on to Goodwood (for the Group 3 Gordon Stakes) and then going to the Leger after that, if the lads decided to go that far, it depends on what they decide to do.

“Obviously, Sovereign got a mile and a half really well, really strong. This fella is a better mover than Sovereign, a very low mover, and a bigger horse. He’s very exciting.”

Rest of Saturday’s card

PRINCESS Zahra Aga Khan was on hand to see Hazdann win the opening Barronstown Stud two-year-old maiden.

Trained by Dermot Weld, the 10/1 shot was the only member of the 14-runner field who had a previous run and that probably made all the difference as he held on to win by a neck from the very promising Green Impact, trained by Jessica Harrington.

“He did it nicely. He just got no run in Gowran but he came home very well that day,” said Weld.

“He’s progressed well for the race, worked very well the other morning and I thought he’d represent us very well. That’s what he did.

“I said to Chris [Hayes] that he would have learned a lot from Gowran, that he had a good draw and to use his experience.”

The winner is by Night Of Thunder and related to Harzand. Ger Lyons and Colin Keane teamed up for a winner on all three days of the Derby meeting and their Saturday success came courtesy of Apricot Ice in the six-furlong Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes Handicap.

The three-year-old Bated Breath filly was good enough to defeat her elders here, scoring by a length from Heavenly Power in the colours of breeders Ballygallon Stud.

“You can see by the size of her she’s still on the leg,” said Lyons. “We ran her in a listed race at Leopardstown last year, that’s what we thought of her.

“She’s only going to get better with age. She’s turned a wee corner there, she won her maiden and she’s backed it up today.”

Referring to the heavy rain that had just started to fall, the trainer added: “I’d say we only got away with it on the ground. She’s all about top of the ground and if the race was in two races’ time I’d say we would have been in trouble.”

Gordon Elliott has a fantastic record in lady rider races and did it again on Saturday when saddling Set Point to win the Kildare Village Ladies Derby Handicap.

The 14/1 chance was partnered by Sophie Carter, this year’s leading female novice rider in point-to-points, and this was the Oxford woman’s first winner on the track. She is based with Colin Bowe and lost 9lb to get close to the 9st she had to carry in this race.

Imported

Apart from a spin over a short trip at Laytown last year, this was Set Point’s first run on the flat for Elliott since imported from Britain. The six-year-old has won twice over hurdles for owner Clodagh Lacy.

Having finished second to City Of Troy in a maiden last year, Galen was entitled to start at odds-on for the one mile median auction maiden and duly hacked up by nine lengths for trainer Joseph O’Brien and rider Dylan Browne McMonagle.

“We’ve always thought the world of him,” O’Brien said. “I’m delighted for the owners Ger Fitzgerald, Paul Redmond and Barry Fowler. They had to be patient with this guy and hopefully the patience will be rewarded between now and the end of the season.”

The closing seven-furlong La Celia Wines Irish EBF Maiden was a poor contest by Curragh standards. Just four three-year-olds went to post and it was won convincingly by the 11/10 favourite Arnaman, trained by Ken Condon for owner Robert Ng, and ridden by Billy Lee.

Connections bought the horse privately from Co Down trainer Matt Quinn following a debut second at Dundalk in March.

Condon said: “It was only his second start and we’re delighted that he did that in the new colours. Ultimately he’ll join Robert Ng’s team in Hong Kong, that’s what he was bought for. They don’t usually export horses until sort of August-time so whether he runs in the meantime, they’ll talk among themselves and see what they want to do.”