Tipperary tips: Pretty Gorgeous can get off the mark for the year
Pretty Gorgeous, ridden by Shane Crosse. Photo: Alan Crowhust/PA
Thus far this season, Pretty Gorgeous hasn’t scaled the heights of her juvenile season, but she can get off the mark for the year by taking the Group 3 Coolmore Stud No Nay Never Fairy Bridge Stakes, the feature on this evening’s card in Tipperary.
Having won the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October, she was at the head of the market for the Newmarket 1000 Guineas but never made it that far. She was well beaten in the Irish equivalent on her seasonal debut and similarly so in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Last time out, however, she ran a touch better when seventh, beaten only three lengths, in the Falmouth Stakes and, on the evidence of that run, a drop to seven furlongs shouldn’t be a problem.
Today’s race is her first step out of Group 1 or Group 2 company since her second start and she can make the most of the opportunity. Pearls Galore was deeply impressive winning in this grade last time and, while this is much tougher, the progressive four-year-old can push the selection closest.
Frenetic and Urban Beat are the two to concentrate on in the listed Abergwaun Stakes, with preference for the last-named. On his penultimate start, Johnny Murtagh’s six-year-old carried top weight to victory in the Rockingham and followed up that effort by finishing a good third behind subsequent Nunthorpe winner Winter Power last month at York. If the cut in the ground which was reported on Tuesday (yielding, yielding to soft in places) remains, he can get the better of Frenetic.
Nebo can follow up his recent success at Gowran when he lines up for the Meadowview Stables Race. Tom Hogan’s horse got back to winning ways by dictating matters in a seven-furlong handicap and, while this is tougher and he mightn’t get things all his own way, he has fewer questions to answer than have most of his rivals.
There are two divisions of the @TipperaryRaces Apprentice Handicap and Cool Leader is the most interesting runner in the first of them. Hilary Mc Loughlin’s three-year-old filly made her handicap debut at the Galway festival and ran a fine race to finish seventh behind Church Mountain. Wide the whole way from her high draw, she was beaten just a touch more than three lengths. The extra furlong of today’s race is no problem to her, and she can get off the mark this evening.
4:15 Don Julio
4:50 Awesome Wonder
5:25 Nebo
6:00 Pretty Gorgeous (nap)
6:30 Urban Beat
7:00 Cool Leader
7:30 Clew Bay
8:00 Mephisto
4:15 Ardluasa
4:50 Panama Red
5:25 Speak In Colours
6:00 Pearls Galore
6:30 Frenetic
7:00 Graduate Of Honour
7:30 Rock Ya Boy Ya
8:00 Hurricane Alex
