3 minute read
Jessica Harrington has never won a Classic on UK soil, but that could all change when Discoveries runs in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
The Irish raider has won two of her four starts so far and although not seen in any of the early season trials for the first fillies' Classic of the season, she is sure to be firing on all cylinders for her three-year-old bow.
The daughter of Mastercraftsman showed plenty of guts to hold off big-race rival Tuesday when breaking her maiden tag at the Curragh last summer and it was back at that track later in the season where she highlighted her Classic credentials when keeping on well to take the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Although never tried over further than seven furlongs, she has always been strong at the latter stages of her races and the move up to a mile looks as though it should pose few problems.
Harrington won an Irish 1,000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Falmouth Stakes at a mile with Discoveries' full sister Alpha Centauri, while half-sister Alpine Star is another to score over the mile in Group One company.
Aidan O'Brien has won five of the last six runnings of this HQ Classic and his runners have to be respected, although the biggest challengers to our selection could well be the French pair, Malavath and Zellie, with less than two lengths separating the duo when they met at Deauville recently. Malavath had Cachet (fourth), Hello You (fifth) and Mise En Scene (10th) all behind when runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last November, a piece of form that is looking rock solid.
While Malavath might have to make do with minor honours in the big one, her trainer Francis-Henri Graffard could be on the scoresheet with Ebaiyra in the Group Two Betfair Exchange Dahlia Stakes.
The consistent five-year-old, who has won four times in 13 starts, was third in the Hong Kong Vase on her final start for Alain de Royer-Dupre and has since been on the road again under the stewardship of Graffard – finishing third in the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia.
She was last seen filling the same position in the Listed Prix Zarkava on home soil and this hardy mare will not shirk at another trip overseas and is sure to be thereabouts at the business end.
There could be a winner for the north when Dark Jedi lines up in the Betfair Daily Rewards Handicap.
Tim Easterby's six-year-old finished second to handicap blot Enemy at Musselburgh last time and with the winner putting up a fine effort in the Sagaro Stakes recently, it offers plenty of optimism that Dark Jedi could oblige here off 1lb lower in the weights.
Roger Varian's Peripatetic could prove to be the value in the Betfair Pretty Polly Stakes.
The daughter of Ulysses was only beaten a neck over a mile on her Rowley Mile on debut and made no mistake at Newcastle to get off the mark at the second attempt.
It is interesting that she beat the second Fonteyn by a greater margin than Pretty Polly favourite Crenelle did recently and our fancy should appreciate the move up in distance this assignment presents.
There could be more success for Varian up at Hamilton, where Mitbaahy can build on his reappearance second at Nottingham in the Les Hoey MBE Dreammaker Foundation EBF Tangerine Trees Conditions Stakes.
Placed twice at Listed level last year, the Profitable colt will appreciate the return to quick ground and could have too much speed for Gimcrack runner-up Gis A Sub, who drops back in trip.
Mahanakhon caught the eye when third on debut at Redcar and could open his account in the Scottish Racing Academy Maiden Stakes.
At Salisbury, Queen Aminatu should complete her hat-trick for William Haggas in the AJN Steelstock 'Your Perfect Partner' Fillies' Handicap.
SELECTIONS:
HAMILTON: 1.30 Morty, 2.05 Tribal Art, 2.35 Mitbaahy, 3.10 Detective, 3.47 Heights Of Aran, 4.21 Mahanakhon, 4.56 Iris Dancer.
NEWMARKET: 1.15 Beautiful Sunrise, 1.50 Dark Jedi, 2.25 PERIPATETIC (NAP), 3.00 Ebaiyra, 3.40 Discoveries, 4.15 Desert Angel, 4.50 Neptune Legend.
SAILSBURY: 2.10 Pope Gregory, 2.40 Oman, 3.17 Jilted, 3.52 Windseeker, 4.27 Le Forban, 5.02 Chairman, 5.35 Queen Aminatu.
SLIGO: 1.40 Butterfly Island, 2.15 El Magnifique, 2.50 Ever Rock, 3.25 Poet's Pride, 4.00 Lariat, 4.35 Rosscarbery, 5.10 Nusret.
DOUBLE: Peripatetic and Mahanakhon.
