The Curragh: “She’s Ready to Rock and Roll.” Is Pretty Polly-Bound Via Sistina the Real Deal?

Very few elite contests are won in the style that Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) displayed in last month's G2 Dahlia S., but Becky Hillen's star mare has to do it again at the next level in Saturday's G1 Yulong Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Granted more ease in the ground, trainer George Boughey is intent on pitching her against the best of the Irish in the 10-furlong test. “I've never seen her look so well and she's been training super, so it's all systems go as long we get a little bit more rain,” the trainer said of the former Joseph Tuite-trained 5-year-old, who signed off last season with a win in the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air. “She's travelled over good and she's ready to rock and roll. It's been the plan for a while and we look forward to taking them on.”

Joseph O'Brien, who was responsible for two of the last four winners, saddles TDN Rising Star Above The Curve (American Pharoah), who took all of the attention away from Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when winning last month's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud. Last year's G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner is one of two Coolmore hopes alongside Ballydoyle's Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who is backed up 13 days after after her second in the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly.

Al Riffa In International Return…
It has taken a while, but Jassim Bin Ali Al Attiyah's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is back in action in the G3 Paddy Power International S. on the Pretty Polly undercard. Not sighted since winning the track's juvenile feature in September, he is giving Joseph O'Brien all the right vibes as he faces another long-absent colt in Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Alfred Munnings (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), last seen finishing a disappointing sixth in the Listed Chesham S. at last year's Royal Ascot.
While Alfred Munnings has to dust off the cobwebs, stablemate and fellow TDN Rising Star Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never) is back just eight days after her runner-up finish in the Royal meeting's G3 Albany S. as she takes in the G2 Airlie Stud S. Three of Aidan O'Brien's last four winners of this had also been in action in Berkshire, but if this proves too quick a turnaround it may be that it benefits another with Coolmore involvement in the Joseph O'Brien-trained Grand Job (Justify) who was second in Matrika's course-and-distance maiden last month.

Return Acts At Newmarket…
The July Course's season got underway on Thursday and the action there on Saturday is not to be missed, with Charlie Appleby taking the wraps off last year's G3 Gordon S. winner and promoted G1 St Leger runner-up New London (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Listed Fred Archer S. “New London has had wind surgery since his last run and we have been very pleased with him at home,” his trainer said. “He has been for two racecourse gallops and this looks a good starting point for a campaign that should progress through the summer and into the autumn.”

The Fred Archer also sees the comeback of Shadwell's talented Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who looks to become the latest in a sequence to defy a lengthy lay-off having been sidelined since his win in Ascot's Listed Buckhounds S. last May. Interestingly, William Haggas also brings back another of Sheikha Hissa's stars missing in action of late in Aldaary (GB) (Territories {Ire}) in the card's G3 Criterion S.

“We need soft ground for Aldaary, I declared him when it was raining,” Haggas said of last year's impressive Listed Spring Trophy winner who has been off for the same 420-day stretch as Al Aasy. “The ground is on the slow side at Newmarket, but whether that remains the case we'll see. We can make a decision as late as we need to, but as long as it's not fast I'd say he'll probably run because he needs to get going. Al Aasy is the same, he likes a bit of cut in the ground, but he needs to start. They've both been training well, so I'm hopeful they'll run well.”

In the fixture's opening Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' S., Charlie Appleby tests the waters with TDN Rising Star Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) who dazzled at Haydock 16 days ago. She faces Ballylinch Stud's What A Question (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a key member of the Charlie Johnston juvenile academy who was impressive at Goodwood on her debut a day after her Godolphin rival.

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Another Ballydoyle No Nay Never TDN Rising Star Emerges

When it comes to the maidens at The Curragh's Irish Guineas weekend, it has become essential to follow Aidan O'Brien's chosen runners with the following year's Classics in mind and Sunday's Tally Ho Stud Irish EBF Fillies Maiden produced a winner in Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never–Muravka {Ire}, by High Chaparral {Ire}) who very much gave that vibe. Following the TDN Rising Star label handed to the yard's Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) on Saturday, the same honour is bestowed on this debutante who went two places better in the six-furlong maiden than her classy stablemate Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had done 12 months ago.

Sent forward from the break by Ryan Moore, the market-weak 6-1 shot travelled strongly throughout in the front line and always looked comfortable exposed without cover before beginning to assert from the furlong pole. There is nothing in the winning margins of 3/4 of a length and a neck to the Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien-trained Grand Job (Justify) and Mysteries (Ire) (No Nay Never) respectively, or the unspectacular winning time, to suggest this was a TDN Rising Star-type performance but it is all about the future with this full-sister to Unicorn Lion (Ire) and The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).

Most of the stable's eventual group 1 fillies do not win by far on debut and it is more the manner of her success that suggests she can soon dine at the top table. Another TDN Rising Star in the armada to head to Royal Ascot, the imposing bay has apparently turned being laid-back into an art form at Rosegreen. “She's been very idle and lazy at home and so has been working in blinkers–she was declared in them and they were on and off about three or four times since, but Wayne [Lordan] who rides her in all her work decided last minute to leave them off,” the master of Ballydoyle explained. “It was his call and the right one, so it was lovely to see her doing that. She is totally asleep all the time at home, but now she's done that first time we could leave the blinkers off again for the [G3] Albany. She could be one of those lazy workers and that is often a good thing. I think Joseph and Donnacha liked their fillies, which is a good sign.”

Matrika is the eighth TDN Rising Star for her sire, with Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Little Big Bear (Ire) the obvious picks of them.

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Observations: Clash of the Rising Stars at Saint-Cloud

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Insights features the return of TDN Rising Stars Ramatuelle (Justify) and Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in a Saint-Cloud conditions event.

13.58 Saint-Cloud, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, 6fT
Christopher Head trainee RAMATUELLE (Justify) created a deep impression first time out when powering home by 4 1/2 lengths over five furlongs at Chantilly last month and the 'TDN Rising Star' makes her eagerly-awaited return upped in trip here. She encounters a trio of winners which includes fellow Rising Star Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who made an equally taking debut when routing his rivals by 5 1/2 lengths and more over the same five-furlong strip at Chantilly earlier this month.

13.45 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, f, 6fT
Coolmore and Westerberg's well-related MATRIKA (IRE) (No Nay Never) faces eight rivals in this debut. She is a full-sister to the dual Group 3-winning G1 Takarazuka Kinen runner-up Unicorn Lion (Ire) and a half-sister to G1 Prix Morny-winning sire The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Opposition to the Aidan O'Brien trainee includes Moyglare Stud Farm's homebred September Leaves (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who is out of a full-sister to multiple Group 1-winning dual Hong Kong champion Designs On Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), from the Jessica Harrington stable; and $105,000 Keeneland September graduate Grand Job (Justify), who is kin to G3 UAE Oaks victrix Divine Image (Scat Daddy) and represents Joseph O'Brien.

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