This is possibly the best date in the calendar for any Group 1. It’s midsummer after all. Three years ago we had a Sharahan breeze coming up the home straight when ironically Snowfall obliterated the field to win by 8½L. This being Ireland it’s a long shot for a repeat.
The ground at the Curragh is reported to be good having been good to firm earlier in the week. Rain is due to hit tonight, Friday, and if it does it might just have a bearing on the outcome.
Ryan Moore shocked the market at the declaration stage when opting to ride Content instead of the Ribblesdale winner Port Fairy. They flipped in the betting with Content going favourite over her stable companion, their trading at 100/30 and 11/2 respectively. Content’s race record of 2 wins from 10 runs doesn’t exactly read well. She has been a talking horse throughout whose yet to deliver. Ryan is of the view her last run in the Pretty Poly over 10f was her best when she ran third to two older English fillies, Blue Stocking and Emily Upjohn, beaten 4¼L when in receipt of 12 lbs.
Epsom Oaks form comes courtesy of David Menuisier’s War Chimes. She was third at 50/1 when beaten 4½L by the now-retired Ezeliya. Ralph Beckett’s You Got Me was back in forth with Noel Meade’s Caught You Looking filling the fifth spot. Rubies Are Red was back in twelfth. All will be hoping the fairer track will improve their chances.
It’s great to have the Prix De Diane form on show also. Irish trainer Gavin Hernon sends Dare To Dream from his Chantilly base having run fifth in the French Oaks over 1m2½f.
Ryan rates the Pretty Poly a better formline than the Ribblesdale where he rode Port Fairy to beat the reopposing Lava Stream to win over this trip of a 1m4f. You Got Me who’d come on from Epsom was back in forth with Rubies Are Red in ninth.
It’s 21 years since Paddy Mullins won this with Vintage Tipple in 2003.
His son Willie will try to land it with Lope De Lilas. She was highly thought of when debuting last year in a Maiden in Galway. She was a well-backed going off a 6/4 favourite but could only finish fifth beaten 5¾L. Willie kept her off the track until May this year when she won a Maiden at Leopardstown in impressive style over 1m2f. She’s since been snapped up by Wathnan Racing however experience, or lack of it, is a concern for this.
Paddy Twomey runs Purple Lily. Fifth in the Irish 1000 Guineas, she was only ½L behind Ezeliya in the Salsabil Stakes at Navan over 1m2f prior to that. She also has good form with give in the ground having won on soft last year and heavy in March.
Johnny Murtagh will be looking forward to this. Hanalia came from last to first to win the Naas Oaks Trial with Ger Lyons Madame Celeste back in fifth. That form was given a nice boost when the third Greenfinch won at Listed level in Killarney this week.
Joseph O’Brien will be hoping the forecast rain comes tonight. His filly, Galileo Dame, won her Maiden in good style on heavy ground at Leopardstown. She went to Chester thereafter but could only manage fourth (Port Fairy 2nd) when doing her best work late on. She was then second in the Gowran Classic when caught for toe however she looked to be gathering herself well in both runs late on and looks like a step up in trip will suit.
Dermot Weld’s will be another praying to the rain gods tonight as his Elizabeth Jane won her Maiden well on heavy but was ineffective on good in the Naas Oaks Trial when back in seventh.
It really would be a dream if Dare To Dream could win this for Gavin Hernon (what a homecoming that would be) however she met Content as a juvenile at G3 level last year at the Curragh and was beaten 3L. While Content’s run in the Pretty Poly does just about justify favoritism over the more workmanlike performance of Port Fairy in the Ribblesdale the probable best form on offer is Purple Lily’s run in the Salsabil at Navan when just behind, Ezeliya the Epsom winner. She’d surely would have been an odds-on shot if she was here.
The one with the most improvement in her could well be Galileo Dame. The maiden she won at Leopardstown was previously won by Savethelastdance (won this last year) and Tarnawa, winner in 2019, what a star she was. If the rain does materialise, she could well spring a surprise. Both are worth backing with 4 places on offer.
Recommendation
Purple Lily 14/1 ew
Galileo Dame 30/1 ew
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