Estrange wins elusive Group 1 in Pretty Polly

KILDARE – Trainer David O’Meara’s Estrange enjoyed her first success at the top level, when downing recent Epsom Oaks heroine Thundering On in the €400,000 (S$589,000) Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes (2,000m) at The Curragh on June 27.

The Cheveley Park-owned mare found only Minnie Hauk and Kalpana too strong in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks (2,400m) and the Group 1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (2,400m) last season.

She arrived at The Curragh with the perfect prep when winning the Group 3 Lester Piggott Stakes (2,250m) at Carlisle on May 30.

Stepping back into Group 1 company, O’Meara’s classy grey always looked to be catching the eye out wide under Daniel Tudhope.

The Night Of Thunder five-year-old cruised along her rivals around the final bend, before Tudhope sent her for home passing the two-furlong marker.

Estrange ($13) quickly moved past Wemightakedlongway (Joseph Sheridan) in the straight. Although both Red Letter (Colin Keane) and Thundering On (Dylan Browne McMonagle) – who were both within striking distance – mounted challenges, they never looked like catching the eventual winner as she surged clear to score by 1½ lengths.

Paddy Twomey’s One Look (James Doyle) ran on the best of the rest to grab the runner-up spot from Red Letter, with Joseph O’Brien’s Thundering On back in fourth.

“She’s come up against a couple of good fillies and is just a dream to ride as a jockey and does everything you ask her to do,” said Tudhope to Racing TV.

“She was coming back in trip today which I thought was a plus and she felt good. She picked up well when I asked her and put the race to bed.

“Colin Keane kept me wide but that’s race-riding and I was happy. She relaxed nicely, we went a good pace and I got her into a nice rhythm and you just have to believe in your filly from there on in.

“She travelled into the race when I asked her and she picked up even better.

“She’s got a lot of speed this filly, her work at home says that as well.

“Her last couple of runs have been over a mile and a half, she’s travelled pretty strong, and I thought it (the trip) was going to be no problem.

“We did think if she was going to win a Group 1, it would be this race so I’m pleased she’s got there.”

Estrange was due to take part in the 2025 Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2,400m) – also known as The Arc – but was forced to be withdrawn at the final stage after O’Meara found her to have scoped dirty.

“Thundering On was very impressive and giving her 12 pounds (5.44kg) as well, we thought it was going to be tough, but we knew she wouldn’t be far away,” he said.

“She was meant to run in the Arc last year and, fingers crossed, she can get there this year.”

Cheveley Park’s mare has an abundance of options between now and the Arc, with the Group 1 Nassau Stakes (2,000m), for which she was cut to 7-2 for by Paddy Power, and the Yorkshire Oaks both to come under consideration.

The same firm made her a 20-1 chance for the Arc in October.

“It looked pretty straightforward from where I was standing anyway,” said O’Meara.

“She was maybe caught a little wide, but she doesn’t pull, so it wasn’t a huge concern. When I saw her travel up nicely to the two, I thought it would take a quick one to get by her from the two home.

“Danny’s been saying it (dropping in trip) for a bit and he’s obviously right, so maybe we’ve been making a bit of a mess of her running her over a mile and a half on soft ground. She’s very good.

“On her second run, I sent her to Yarmouth on quick ground, and it didn’t work out. It was maybe more how the race was run, as she was knocked around, but we came away from that thinking we’d stay away from that ground...

“She’s shown today that she clearly handles it fine.

“She’s in the Yorkshire Oaks, the Nassau and the Arc. That’s a conversation to be had with Cheveley and to see what Mrs Thompson would like to do.

“But it was important to get a Group 1 under her belt this year because we thought she was capable and now we can breathe.” RACING AND SPORTS