Minding was sensational in both and comes into the race having easily landed the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh by 4 1/2 lengths.
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However, switched to the outside of the field, she quickly made up the necessary ground and put the race to bed at the furlong pole, before being eased down to beat Queen’s Trust (16/1) by a length and a quarter, with French runner Jemayel third.
For a horse of lesser ability this could have spelled trouble but when Moore asked for an effort entering the final furlong his filly responded. It can get tactical and messy but Ryan handled it great and worked it out great.
“It was always going to be a messy sort of race today and it was just a question of keeping it as simple as possible”, said the winning jockey. I’ve got to talk to Bill but I think we will make the entry. She was only doing what she had to do.
Moore, who has ridden Minding on her last six starts, was in awe of the filly who delivered the 32-year-old jockey his first win in the Nassau Stakes. However Coral remained unmoved at 8-1.
“I’m delighted with this filly”, O’Brien said.
“We’ve been very happy with her at home and she’s thrived from race to race”, O’Brien said.
However, Minding showed her star quality to grind out victory after taking up the lead. It all comes alike to her – she’s very versatile.
“We can now look at York and the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, but there is also France – she’s probably ready to go down most roads”. “It is hard to know how good this filly is because she is doing it over different trips and she only does what she has to do”.
News from the rest of Saturday’s card at Goodwood, where Ryan Moore rode Lockheed to victory in the maiden.
I was nervous watching it and a lot of things can happen and race riding can be unsafe at the best of times at the speed they’re going but we had the right outcome today. They’ll probably decide in a week or so but she has plenty of options.
Trainer Sir Michael Stoute also completed a treble with Kings Fete, Poet’s Word and Paul Hanagan-ridden Thikriyaat in the Group Three Thoroughbred Stakes. “I’m not sure if we’ve had a more resilient filly”. Hopefully, she will come home well from today and we will see how she is then but she is ready to go into most slots now. She was special as a two-year-old, won well in the 1000 Guineas and has kept on progressing.
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That was a particularly rough race and I fancy him to get back in the winner’s enclosure here for a trainer that excels with this type of horse.
