THE DERMOT Weld-Pat Smullen team will hope to score an elusive Group One prize for Chinese White in tomorrow’s Audi Pretty Polly Stakes but they can secure a successful start to the Derby festival with Moonlit Garden in this evening’s feature at the Curragh.
A total of nine runners will line up for the Ballygallon Stud Stakes and Moonlit Garden is returning to the course and distance of her debut victory in an attempt to make up for a luckless run at Royal Ascot last week.
A stall one draw in the Queen Mary Stakes gave the Weld filly no chance in a race which was dominated by runners drawn high. Sure enough Maqaasid and Meow dominated on the far rail, leaving Moonlit Garden to fruitlessly dominate those runners left running up the centre of the track.
She eventually finished a place behind Jim Bolger’s Purple Glow, who was drawn 14 that day and opposes again here.
Other major contenders will be the Leopardstown winner Looking Lovely and another course and distance winner in Seeharn, while Mick Channon supplies a cross-channel raider in Galloping Queen.
However, an even playing field should see Moonlit Garden in with a major shout ahead of Chinese White’s Group One attempt tomorrow.
The grey mare, who is in foal to Cape Cross, could have her last ever start in the Pretty Polly, for which nine runners were declared yesterday.
There is another Group One option open to Chinese White in Germany in a couple of weeks but victory tomorrow would see her sign off her racing career in style.
Aidan O’Brien’s Oaks third Remember When is set to start favourite to win her first ever race in the Pretty Polly, a prize that Peeping Fawn landed in 2007 after finishing runner-up in Epsom.
“She ran a little bit like Peeping Fawn did at Epsom. Obviously she has still to win but Peeping Fawn had only won a maiden before winning the Pretty Polly,” O’Brien said yesterday.
There will be three British-based challengers for tomorrow’s feature including Godolphin’s Flying Cloud.
The apprentice jockeys have their own Derby this evening and trainer Tim Doyle and jockey Pádraig Beggy, who landed this prize with Jumbo Rio in 2008, can strike again with Sailors Warn.
Not running into La Chassotte will be a relief to Sailors Warn after finishing runner-up to that horse on his last three starts.
John Oxx is another trainer with a good record in this race and he supplies the dual-Dundalk winner Emrani, but Sailors Warn could be a touch of value in a competitive heat. Top New Zealand jockey James McDonald has had a couple of winners during his stint in Ireland and can add to that tally with the JP McManus trained Princeton Plains in the opening mile maiden.
