ROSSA Ryan is hopeful of gaining his first Irish Group 1 aboard Bluestocking in the Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Ralph Beckett’s four-year-old currently heads the market at 7/4, following her demolition job in the Group 2 Middleton Fillies’ Stakes, and Ryan is confident there is more to come from the Juddmonte homebred.

“On her York form, she obviously has a great chance,” said the Galway-born jockey. “She’s got a lovely draw in three and I would imagine she’s taken a step forward from York. She was very impressive in a nice field of fillies there, and she showed what she’s been showing at home.”

Ryan has ridden two previous winners at the Irish Derby Festival, both aboard AMO Racing-owned colts in the Group 2 Railway Stakes. Last year’s victor was the Adrian Murray-trained Bucanero Fuerte, while he won the 2022 renewal with Go Bears Go, then trained by fellow Galway native David Loughnane.

“It would be great to get a Group 1 winner on home soil,” Ryan said on Friday. “I’ve had luck down through the years in group races at the Curragh and to get a Group 1 at home would just be incredible. So please God, we have a big chance, and hopefully everything goes right.”

Rossa Ryan is enjoying a terrific run, having recorded 104 winners so far this year. He was successful at the Royal meeting, landing the King George V Stakes aboard Going The Distance, while other notable wins include Forest Fairy’s listed success in the Cheshire Oaks.

He enjoyed a career-best 202 winners in 2023, 13 of them blacktype, led by Shaquille’s Group 1 win in the July Cup and a Royal Ascot double.