Promising Victory in Pretty Polly Stakes

Promising Lead landed her first group I victory with a comfortable 1 1/4-length win over Mad About You in the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes (Ire-I) at the Curragh June 28. 

The Juddmonte Farm homebred showed tremendous potential last year as a 3-year-old, losing a head decision to Satwa Queen in the Prix de l’Opera (Fr-I) in October in her final start of 2007.  Promising Lead now has two wins from two starts this season, her other victory coming in the totescoop6 Special Middleton Stakes (Eng-III) May 15.

Ryan Moore was content to settle Promising Lead in second, as the Aidan O’Brien-trained Ice Queen set a strong gallop on the front end under Seamus Heffernan.  Mad About You followed in third, with Finsceal Beo tracking the leaders in fifth.

The order remained unchanged for most of the first mile, as Ice Queen at one point had a 10-length lead.  As the field neared the two-furlong marker, the race dynamics changed quickly, as Ice Queen tired and began to fade. 

Promising Lead took command and had plenty left in the tank to easily hold off the late bid of Mad About You.  Anna Pavlova made a belated bid to capture third, 4 1/2-lengths behind Mad About You. 

Final time for the 10 furlongs was 2:06.82 over the yielding turf course.

The big disappointment in the race was Finsceal Beo, who struggled throughout much of the race and was eased by Kevin Manning within the final furlong.  A post-race veterinary exam found her to be ‘distressed and clinically abnormal’, and further tests will be run.

Winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute told reporters afterwards, “She is a real big, scopey, progressive filly.  She improved through last year, and was only beaten a head in the Opera.”  He continued, “She started off this season winning well in a Group Three at York, and she is really coming to herself.”

Stoute added that the Nassau Stakes (Eng-I) at Goodwood would likely be her next start.

Promising Lead is a 4-year-old filly by Danehill out of Arrive, by Kahyasi.  Arrive is a stakes-winning full sister to Hasili, the dam of champions/group I winners Intercontinental, Banks Hill, Dansili, Cacique, and Heat Haze.


Septimus Storms to Curragh Cup Win

Septimus made a successful 2008 debut with an authoritative 2 1/2-length win over Mores Wells in the 14-furlong At the Races Curragh Cup (Ire-III) June 28.

The 5-year-old son of Sadler’s Wells has developed into a long-distance specialist, having reeled off three straight group victories since finishing a close second to stablemate Scorpion in the Vodafone Coronation Cup (Eng-I) last June.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien mentioned that the Irish Field St. Leger (Ire-I) in September is a possible fall target for Septimus.