Dreamloper To Face Males In Prix D’Ispahan

G2 Dahlia S. heroine Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) will try her luck against males in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, according to trainer Ed Walker. A winner of the G3 Valiant S. last July and third in the G1 Sun Chariot S. later that year, the bay mare clawed out a nose victory in the Dahlia S. at Newmarket on May 1. After her visit to France, the J. Fill colourbearer has an engagement in the June 26 G1 Pretty Polly S.

“The plan is to go for the Prix d'Ispahan on Sunday, she's in very good form and she came out of the Newmarket race well,” Walker said. “It is a big ask to go and take on the colts in a Group 1, but it is a nice stepping stone between the Dahlia and the Pretty Polly.

“We've been very pleased with her and we were very happy with the Newmarket run, she saw it out well–we're looking forward to it.”

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Santa Barbara to the Test in Pretty Polly

There have been valid excuses for her missing the target so far in 2021, but Sunday's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh offers the ideal opportunity for 'TDN Rising Star' Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to deliver on her promise. Lacking vital experience when fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket May 2 she was probably undone by a combination of a 12-furlong trip and testing ground when fifth in the June 4 G1 Epsom Oaks. “She clearly ran a hugely promising race for a horse coming off the back of just a maiden win when fourth in the Guineas and that was always going to be a big ask for her over a mile on fast ground in a Classic first time up,” Ryan Moore commented. “It looks like the trip proved beyond her in bad conditions when fifth in the Oaks last time, so this 10-furlong trip could prove her optimum. Hopefully she can take a step forward here, but she is up against some horses of a similar ability and in some cases higher-rated opposition so this is another tough Group 1 assignment for her.”

Santa Barbara takes on a different challenge here, meeting the older fillies and mares headed by the Australia (GB) duo,  Cayenne Pepper (Ire) and Epona Plays (Ire). Cayenne Pepper is back over the course and distance of her four-length success in the G2 Blandford S. in September, where the re-opposing Thundering Nights (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was in third. She was fourth on her return in the 10 1/2-furlong G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup on contrasting ground here May 23 and trainer Jessie Harrington believes the more lively conditions will bring out the best in her. “We think she's come forward from the Tattersalls Gold Cup and that she will appreciate the good ground, as she doesn't like it soft,” she said.

Improving at a rate of knots, Epona Plays is one of the country's leading milers following her wins in the G3 Park Express S. at Naas Mar. 28 and G2 Lanwades Stud S. at this venue May 22. She has been over this trip before and won the G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies S. over an extended nine furlongs at Gowran Park in September, so she warrants maximum respect while Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) needs to bounce back after a lean spell. She had another Jessie Harrington representative Oodnadatta (Ire) (Australia {GB}) back in third when winning the G1 Moyglare Stud S. over seven furlongs here in September and the ground was against her when 10th in last Friday's G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot.

Joseph O'Brien believes that Thundering Nights can build on her narrow second in the June 4 GII New York S. and said, “Thundering Nights has been a brilliant filly for us and was unlucky not to win earlier this month. She was interfered with on the first bend and got a bit further back than ideal. She finished off like a train in the closing stages, but came up a nose short. It was a fantastic run and she has come back from it in great shape. The big aim of bringing her back into training this year was for her to be competitive in Group 1 company and her form entitles her to be in the mix in this race. Conditions will suit and hopefully she'll run a big race.”

In the six-furlong G2 Airlie Stud S., last Wednesday's G2 Queen Mary S. third Cheerupsleepyjean (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) backs up quickly having caught the eye when making up ground in that five-furlong contest where the front-runners looked to have an advantage. Aidan O'Brien puts 'TDN Rising Star' Yet (War Front) into the mix after she was 17th in that race, while Joseph O'Brien saddles the May 28 Fairyhouse auction series maiden winner Velocidad (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}).

Stayers get their chance in the G2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup, where Ballydoyle's Passion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) makes her seasonal bow having signed off in 2020 with a career-best third in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot in October. Last year's G3 Stanerra S. winner and G1 Irish Oaks third is joined by stablemate Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {GB}), last year's G1 Epsom Derby third who was 11th after setting the pace in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last Thursday. In Germany, the G3 Wettstar.de Dortmund Grand Prix sees Stall TMB's May 24 G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen winner Mythico (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) take on the older horses.

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Audarya Return Delayed

Breeders' Cup winner Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will skip an intended start in the G2 Prix Corrida in France on Wednesday and the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. a day later has also been mooted, according to trainer James Fanshawe.

“She's fine,” he said. “She was just a bit quiet at the weekend, and it's a long trip to France, so that's why we decided not to go. We decided to give her a bit more time. It's just looking at her–she was just not her usual bouncy self. So that's why we haven't gone this week. I was hoping to run her this week, and she's not far from a race.”

Races under consideration for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine include the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot in mid-June and the G1 Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh on June 27. The dark bay also struck in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet two starts prior to her Breeders' Cup heroics.

“The Prince of Wales's would be a tough question to ask her first time out,” added Fanshawe. “But I'm sure she'll tell us. There's the Pretty Polly 10 days later, so there are various options–we'll see how she is.”

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Magical Returns in the Pretty Polly

Back from the brink of retirement following her G1 Champion S. victory at Ascot in October, Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is the next A-list celebrity to step into the limelight in 2020 as she gets reacquainted with top-flight action in Sunday’s G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Ballydoyle’s high achiever has a stunning record at this venue, having won four of her six starts here including last year’s G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup by seven lengths and generally is tough to beat in her native country as she proved when taking Leopardstown’s G1 Irish Champion S. in September. She is joined by stablemate Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who has the benefit of an outing having been second in the course-and-distance G2 Mooresbridge S. June 12.

If Magical is not at least near her top level, Jessie Harrington could be set to take advantage with Jon Kelly’s 3-year-old Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who gets a 12-pound weight-for-age swing. She showed her quality at two when taking the G3 Flame of Tara S. over a mile here in August before finishing fourth in the G1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October.

Acting as support to the feature is the G2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands S. and Denis Hogan’s Make a Challenge (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) bids to cement his place at the forefront of the domestic sprinters. He looked in a good place when taking the Listed Sole Power Sprint S. over five furlongs at Naas last Saturday and has shown enough to suggest he is at least a match for the June 20 G1 Diamond Jubilee S. fifth Speak In Colours (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}).

Also on Sunday, Godolphin’s Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids for a third top-level success and a first in Europe having been found an ideal opening in a tepid renewal of the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. On a card in which the operation’s TDN Rising Star Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) looks to get back to winning ways in the G2 Prix du Muguet, the Charlie Appleby-trained 5-year-old meets the May 31 G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly winner and June 14 G1 Prix Ganay runner-up Way To Paris (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and last year’s second Ziyad (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}). Old Persian can be hit-and-miss, but on his best day he is near the international elite as he proved when taking last year’s G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and the GI Northern Dancer Turf S. Rejuvenated after a break having signed off with a poor 11th in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf, the stalwart will probably not find a softer Group 1 anywhere in Britain, France or Ireland this year.

“Old Persian enjoyed a nice winter off out in Dubai after doing a lot of travelling last year,” Appleby said. “It was a disappointing run at the Breeders’ Cup, but it came at the end of a long season and the way the race panned out didn’t suit him. He has been freshened up for hopefully a nice European campaign over the summer and we have been pleased with his preparation. If he brings his A-game, he will be very competitive.”

Persian King was beaten on his keenly-anticipated return in the Listed Prix de Montretout over a mile at Chantilly June 10 and the Muguet looks a good fit for last year’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains hero and G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up. Standing in the way is the talent of Gerard Augustin-Normand’s impressive G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil winner Pretreville (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), who had last year’s G2 Prix Dollar and G2 Premio Roma winner Skalleti (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) five lengths back in third in that May 18 Chantilly contest. Jean-Claude Seroul’s Skalleti has a four-pound swing here and has that sharpener under his belt, while Persian King’s trainer Andre Fabre also pitches in Lady Bamford’s G3 Prix Chloe winner Suphala (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) to ensure this is a proper test for his Classic hero.

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