Curragh Saturday review: Victory for Via Sistina in Pretty Polly Stakes

Via Sistina in cruise control for Pretty Polly triumph

Via Sistina led home a one-two for the British raiders when storming to a Group One triumph in the Yulong Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

Trained by George Boughey, the five-year-old arrived in Ireland having seen her impressive Newmarket win over Al Husn franked at Newcastle in the Hoppings Stakes, and the mount of Jamie Spencer was sent off the 6-4 favourite to give the Saffron House handler a first Irish win.

Spencer was in no rush aboard the progressive daughter of Fastnet Rock and had Via Sistina anchored alongside fellow raider, Hughie Morrison’s Stay Alert, in the early stages as Trevaunance and Above The Curve disputed matters at the head of proceedings.

There was little change in the order until the runners straightened for home, when both Ronan Whelan aboard Stay Alert and the big-race favourite began to plot a route to the front and it was Via Sistina who made the eyecatching progress when shown daylight by Spencer.

With energy to burn she was soon alongside Above The Curve disputing the lead with a furlong to run and although hanging right and causing interference to both the Rosscarbery and the eventual third Above The Curve in the process of making her challenge, she was full of running at the finish as she crossed the line with a two-length advantage over Stay Alert.

A stewards’ inquiry was called due to the interference in the aftermath, but the result remained unaltered as Spencer bagged Group One victories on successive Saturdays following last week’s shock success in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes aboard Khaadem.

He said: “I had a plan to jump smartly, get up behind Ryan (Moore, on Above The Curve) third or fourth. She didn’t jump and my first thing was to get out and don’t get stuck down the fence. I was on about Plan E at that stage.

“She leaned in a bit early in the straight and obviously halfway down the straight, but she was much the best. I only had to give her one flick and she had her ears pricked the last furlong.”

As well as a first winner in Ireland for Boughey, it was the first time Via Sistina has struck at the highest level and options look open with Coral going 3/1 from 7/1 for the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, while Paddy Power gave quotes of 5/2 from 4/1 for Newmarket’s Falmouth Stakes and 10/1 for the Yorkshire Oaks.

Delighted owner Stephen Hillen said: “It doesn’t happen like that very often.

“That’s probably as fast a ground as she wants to run on. Jamie said they went really quick, he said he missed the break and was a bit far out of her ground.

“She’s that big she wears a rug for stalls entry and when you wear a rug they are always a bit slow away.

“He was a bit further back than he wanted to be, but he just said when she comes good she’s just much better than them.”

On plans, he said: “She’s very versatile, I think she can go a mile to a mile and a half. She likes going in a straight line as well so she could go to the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.

“After that there is the Nassau and she’ll be in most of the big races. She’s in the Yorkshire Oaks and the International at York.

“You wouldn’t be risking her on anything with ‘firm’ in it.”

Matrika makes light work of quick turnaround

Matrika confirmed herself out as filly of considerable talent when returning to home soil to claim the Airlie Stud Stakes in convincing fashion at the Curragh.

Aidan O’Brien’s daughter of No Nay Never was a course and distance winner on debut in late May and went on to be narrowly denied by Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna when second in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot on just her second start.

Despite this coming only eight days after her huge Ascot effort, Matrika was sent off the 2/5 favourite and proved she was a cut above her opposition in this Group Two contest.

She led those who raced on the far side with the field splitting into two groups, before stretching clear in the hands of Ryan Moore inside the final furlong, as she registered a one-and-three-quarter length victory over the keeping-on Gunzburg.

“She has a great constitution and we were very happy with her,” said O’Brien.

“The first day she ran we were surprised because she’s very lazy at home, we didn’t really know what to expect but she won.

“Then she went to Ascot and ran a lovely race, but was a little green and babyish. Obviously she learned plenty from it again.

“She came out of the race, lost no weight. She doesn’t blow at all, it takes nothing out of her – she’s very natural. Ryan gave her a lovely ride.

“She’s not slow, she has plenty of speed. Obviously you’d hope that she might get seven, because she is very relaxed, but she is No Nay Never and they have a lot of natural speed and find it very easy to go very fast.”

Matrika was cut to 14/1 from 16s by Coral for next year’s 1000 Guineas with Betfair going even further and making her an 8/1 chance for the fillies’ Classic, but O’Brien is no rush to step her up in trip.

“We’ll stay at six for a while and if we have to step up to seven we will,” continued the Ballydoyle handler.

“I don’t want to be too easy on her because she has a big backside on her and I don’t want her to get too big. We’ll have to keep her going to a point.

“She’s a Group Two winner now and there are probably not too many places we’ll be able to go with her. You’d be hoping she’s going to be a Cheveley Park filly.”

O’Brien’s City Of Troy marches to exciting debut success

City Of Troy could have an exciting future having made an impressive debut at the Curragh on Saturday.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained two-year-old is a son of Justify out of a Group One-winning Coolmore mare and produced a performance befitting of his regal breeding when sent off the 6/4 favourite for the seven-furlong Barronstown Stud Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden.

Always close to the pace in the hands of Ryan Moore, he extended clear to register a two-and-a-half-length victory in an extremely professional manner when asked by his rider, with the nature of the success enough to see the colt introduced into next year’s 2000 Guineas market at 16-1 by Coral and Betfair.

O’Brien said: “Ryan was delighted with him. He said he was very frightened going past the winning post – he said it’s the first time he’s ever rode a two-year-old that he thought wasn’t going to pull up.

“He said going to the winning post he just started to get longer and longer in his stride and galloped down to the boards. He gave him a lovely ride.

“He has a big, long stride and he’s relentless really. I’m delighted with him.

“He has great presence. We had his brother last year, Bertinelli, and he was a very big horse who we thought was going to be a three- or four-year-old, but this horse is made like a two- or three-year-old.

“He’s a medium-sized horse with a giant stride. He’s very unusual, his stride is kind of twice the length of his body. When he started to extend inside the furlong marker, his stride is getting longer and longer – that’s very rare.

“That’s what Justify had as well, his stride was so long and it made him very different. That’s what they (his progeny) have as well and that’s why the big ones take a bit of time.

“They are very good movers and Justify had speed as well as stamina. He’s matching great with the European mares.”

He added: “Ryan said you can go anywhere you want with him and go as far as you want.

“Obviously we have other horses to consider, but he’ll go into one of those seven-furlong races next and it depends on how far the lads want to go with him, whether they want to go up to a mile with him this year or not.”

Mashhoor floors returning Al Riffa in International Stakes

Mashhoor was the beneficiary of a fine ride from Ben Coen as he put his race-fitness to good use and made all to claim the Paddy Power International Stakes.

Johnny Murtagh’s five-year-old arrived at the Curragh in fine form having followed up a victory in a Cork handicap by securing Listed honours in the 12-furlong Orby Stakes at the Kildare track most recently.

However, he faced a stiff task dropping back to 10 furlongs for this Group Three assignment, with Joseph O’Brien’s Group One-winning Al Riffa the 5-6 market leader on his return from a 293-day absence and Aidan O’Brien’s Alfred Munnings another well-fancied runner following a layoff.

Coen was keen to make Mashhoor’s fitness and proven stamina count, and immediately sent his mount to the front as Al Riffa tracked the pace in second.

And that was how the pair remained for the rest of the contest, as Coen kept upping the pace and asking questions of those in behind.

Passing the two-furlong pole Dylan Browne McMonagle was pushing away on Al Riffa, while all the time Mashhoor just kept extending his advantage over the chasing pack and when Coen firmly put the foot down in the closing stages, the willing son of Kingman drew further clear to finish just shy of five lengths clear at the line.

Former Gaelic footballer Tommy Dowd is part of the syndicate that own the winner, and Murtagh said: “It’s really very special when Tommy Dowd comes to you in the parade ring and says ‘I’m more nervous now than I was on all-Ireland day’. I said ‘ah come on, sure we don’t have anything to do any more – it’s up to Ben now’.

“In fairness to the horse you have to say he has improved immensely. He picked up a little injury last year and I suppose it stood to him this year.

“He’s been very straightforward this year and the races have come for him at the right time.

“There was no pace today and I said to Ben to let him roll along. He’s a leader, he leads the string at home.

“I knew when they turned in that they weren’t going to get to him because he wouldn’t stop. He won over a mile and a half last time. It was a great ride.

“It’s great for a syndicate to rock up on Derby weekend and be competitive in a very competitive Group Three.

“You can see the enjoyment it gives people, racing has that.”

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.