Iridessa Heads Irish Oaks Ten

[Wandering Eyes]

Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez’s G1 Pretty Polly S. winner Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) will face nine rivals as she bids to become the first filly since Peeping Fawn (Danehill) in 2007 to bring up a unique double in Saturday’s G1 Kerrygold Irish Oaks at The Curragh. Staging an emphatic return to form when beating Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the re-opposing Pink Dogwood (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) by 2 1/4 lengths and 1 1/4 lengths in that June 28 10-furlong contest at the same venue, last year’s G1 Fillies’ Mile winner tries a mile and a half for the first time. If successful, she will be the first Irish-trained scorer outside of Ballydoyle since 2003 and Joseph O’Brien is taking after his father in making his own rules. “Iridessa has come out of the Pretty Polly S. well and she didn’t look like she was stopping that day, so we are looking forward to it,” he said. “We think going further this weekend will probably be fine for her, but it is always a bit of an unknown how they will get the extra two furlongs.”

With eight of the last 10 renewals heading overseas, there is a keen focus on the John Gosden-trained G2 Ribblesdale S. winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Star Catcher (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Ralph Beckett’s pair of Antonia de Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Manuela de Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while the five-times winning trainer Aidan O’Brien has the G1 Epsom Oaks third and Ribblesdale runner-up Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Peach Tree (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as back-up to Ryan Moore’s choice Pink Dogwood. Dermot Weld is represented by Moyglare Stud Farm’s Search For a Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was second to Trethias (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the June 26 Listed Naas Oaks Trial over 10 furlongs.

Trethias’s trainer Jessie Harrington is another Irish trainer hoping to buck trends and she also has the firepower to do so. There was much to admire about the way Stonethorn Stud Farms’ bay went about her business in dealing out a 2 3/4-length beating to Search For a Song at Naas and her trainer is expecting her to make her presence felt. “We’ve always thought a lot of Trethias and you’re finally getting to see what we all hoped she could do,” she told the Racing Post. “She’s getting stronger all the time and she put it all together at Naas. It’s been a slow process this season, but she’s making up for lost time. She’s a lovely filly and is bred to improve, as she’s from the same family as Dar Re Mi. I don’t know whether she can win or not and I would be delighted if she places.”

On Friday, Kevin Ryan saddles ‘TDN Rising Star’ Repartee (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in a strong-looking renewal of the Listed Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Rose Bowl S. over six furlongs at Newbury. Deliberately saved for this despite the lure of Royal Ascot and Newmarket’s July meeting, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s five-length May 16 York maiden winner encounters another who scored on the Knavesmire in Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Al Aakif (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). “He was impressive at York and we’ve given him plenty of time,” Ryan said of Repartee. “This was always the plan to come here afterwards. He’s in good form and we’re all looking forward to seeing him run again.”

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