Hermosa Takes Up The Challenge

[Wandering Eyes]

Sunday’s feast features four Group 1 races in Ireland and France and a Classic in Germany, but it is the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas which dominates as Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) bids to add to her May 5 G1 1000 Guineas success. Surprisingly as big as 14-1 when accounting for four of these rivals in the Newmarket Classic given that she had already accomplished much at two, the May foal did it the “Galileo way” there as she proved hard as nails from the front. Successful in the G3 Weld Park S. at Naas in September and runner-up in both Newmarket’s G1 Fillies’ Mile and G1 Criterium International over seven at Chantilly the following month, she was perhaps overpriced for her return due to the exposure she had in 2018 rather than due to level of ability.

Ryan Moore has not enjoyed the best of fortune in picking the right Ballydoyle ride in Classics in recent times, but his decisions in these situations are not enviable ones given the depth of talent in the yard. It may be that he has chosen wrong again, with the ‘TDN Rising Star’ Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}) showing up well at the end of the Guineas in sixth. Already a winner over this course and distance in the G3 Flame of Tara S. in September, she needs a patient ride and if things fall right has a finishing kick several of these rivals are lacking.

“We were delighted with Hermosa in Newmarket and she has been well since,” Aidan O’Brien said. “Just Wonderful was a little away from the pace at Newmarket, but came home very well.”

Third in the Newmarket Guineas having won that track’s G3 Nell Gwyn S. on Apr. 16, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Qabala (Scat Daddy) has every entitlement to try again with Roger Varian hopeful that she can turn form around with Hermosa as a filly still in the learning stage. “She hasn’t missed a beat since the English Guineas,” he said. “She has trained nicely and looks well in herself. She was tight for room with two furlongs to run at Newmarket and who knows, she might have finished closer. We felt if we were happy with her condition that she deserved another chance to take another shot at a Classic. She is a laid-back worker, she’s not too flashy in her work at home but her performance in the Nell Gwyn and particularly her performance in the Guineas told us just how good she is.”

Michael Bell is taking a chance on the Gredleys’ G1 Prix Morny winner Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who has a second try at this trip having been third in the G1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October. “We feel there is every chance of her getting the mile a bit better this year, now that she is a year older and we’d be hopeful of being involved at the business end,” he said. “It is a good time to have runners when the yard is in good form. We won a Classic at the ‘old Curragh’ so we now want to win a Classic at the ‘new Curragh’ as well.”

Also at the Kildare circuit, Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) appears only to have to repeat her defeats of Flag of Honour (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in both the G3 Alleged S. at Naas on Apr. 13 and this venue’s G2 Mooresbridge S. on May 6 to collect in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, while at ParisLongchamp the G3 Prix du Lys sees Michael Tabor’s Apr. 23 Compiegne scorer, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Ballet Russe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), work towards a potential G1 Grand Prix de Paris tilt. Trainer Andre Fabre has collected a record 15 renewals of this, including with Swain (Ire), Doyen (Ire) and Rail Link (GB) and he also saddles Godolphin’s May 4 Listed Prix de l’Avre third Khagan (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}). That operation also has the unbeaten Charlie Appleby-trained Moonlight Spirit (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who scored by nine lengths in a 12-furlong Leicester handicap on Apr. 27. “Moonlight Spirit is a progressive 3-year-old who has won over this distance and we are hoping that he can be competitive at this level,” Appleby said. “A good run here might potentially open up a slot for him at Royal Ascot.”

Godolphin are also well-represented in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan in which the fillies hold sway, with their ‘TDN Rising Star’ Wild Illusion (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) returning after a second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill in November. Successful in the G1 Nassau S. at Goodwood in August and G1 Prix de l’Opera here on Arc day, she is reported in top order. “I am delighted with how Wild Illusion has progressed from three to four,” Appleby commented. “She has come to hand quicker than we expected–the plan was to wait for the Pretty Polly S., but she has being doing very well at home. She is coming up against colts for the first time, but she is a multiple Group 1 winner including at Longchamp and I am confident that she can run another big race.”

Fourth in the Opera, fellow ‘TDN Rising Star’ With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) re-opposes Wild Illusion and George Strawbridge’s G1 Prix Rothschild winner is also out for the first time in 2019. In that regard, she hands the initiative to the prestige colt in the line-up in the Niarchos Family’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Study of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). He was no match for Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Ganay here on Apr. 28, but ran a race full of promise when 4 1/2 lengths away in second and he remains largely unexposed. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) took the nine-furlong G3 Earl of Sefton S. at Newmarket on Apr. 18 and the next three home, Forest Ranger (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) and Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}) have all boosted the form.

Also on ParisLongchamp’s card is the G1 Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint Alary, where His Highness The Aga Khan’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Siyarafina (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) is up in trip after beating the subsequent G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches runner-up Commes (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and Listed Prix de Pontarme scorer Noor Sahara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in a mile conditions race here on Apr. 22. She encounters the Wertheimers’ Platane (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}), who beat the subsequent G3 Prix Cleopatre scorer Etoile (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the nine-furlong G3 Prix Vanteaux at this track on Apr. 7, and also Juddmonte’s unbeaten Fount (GB) (Frankel {GB}). A daughter of Ventura (Chester House), the Andre Fabre trainee is back 13 days after scoring in a mile conditions race at Saint-Cloud which can only be a positive regarding her trainer’s intuition.

Dusseldorf features the G2 German 1000 Guineas, where Team Valor’s Axana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) stars after her success in the G2 Schwarzgold-Rennen at Cologne on Apr. 22. Saif Ali’s Main Edition (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) heads the customary strong overseas challenge having finished seventh in the Apr. 16 G3 Nell Gwyn S. over seven furlongs at Newmarket. Unproven at a mile, the G3 Albany S. and G3 Sweet Solera S. winner promises to stay and it is just a case of whether she can deal with these rivals. They include the Apr. 13 G3 Fred Darling S. runner-up Iconic Choice (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}), who was seventh and beaten less than three lengths in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 5, and Stall Lucky Owner’s Shalona (Fr) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) who caused a surprise when beating Sharoka (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) in the Listed Henkel-Stutenpreis over this track and trip on Apr. 27.

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