3 minute read
Willie McCreery believes Insinuendo could cause a shock in with the boys in the Bahrain International Trophy on Friday.
The renewal of the Group Three event at Sakhir over 1m2f could well by the five-year-old's final run.
She is heading to the sales ring at Tattersalls at the end of the month and is expected to find herself as a broodmare.
Last seen at Ascot in October, the mare was handed a Group One assignment in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and finished third of 14 to Emily Upjohn at 80/1.
Prior to that she was unplaced and 11th of 16 to Place Du Carrousel in the Prix de l'Opera at the start of October on very soft ground.
Her three previous runs at the Curragh on better ground were more fruitful. She was narrowly beaten into second in Express Park Stakes in March before returning in the Royal Whip in August.
Aidan O'Brien's Luxembourg was a neck too good on that day over 1m2f and it was the same story in the Blandford with Above The Curve winning on the nod.
William Mccreery though thinks the Deegan Racing Syndicate-owned mare can use her speed turning in to give the field plenty to think about.
"She seems to have travelled very well, she seems very relaxed out on the track so I'm really happy with her," McCreery said.
"She's been a great mare, we're excited to see her run. It's amazing to be here, everyone's been so well looked after, including the horses, so we're very thankful.
"We were meant to come last year but she had a little setback, so we are delighted to take up the invitation this year.
"She is a big, free-actioned filly who we didn't run until the September of her three-year-old career because she took time to grow into herself. She's a big, mature mare now and she loves her training.
"She'll wear a hood. She's worn it in her last two races. We thought two or three runs ago to leave the hood on her and it seems to have settled her to save that kick for the final couple of hundred yards.
"I've looked at her last three or four runs and she's had the quickest final furlong of any horse in the race. There's a good, long straight to the track here, so if we can still be in contention turning in, we'll be laughing."
Andre Fabre's Magny Cours is expected to go off as favourite, but Owen Burrows' well-fancied Alflaila was ruled out due to injury.