HERMOSA STORMS TO DOUBLE
has her sights set on the mile-and-a- quarter French Oaks after becoming the fourth filly to complete the English-Irish 1,000 Guineas double at the Curragh yesterday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly joined Attraction (2004), Finsceal Beo (2007) and Winter (2017) in winning the first fillies Classics of the season either side of the Irish Sea.
The four-length win for the Ryan Moore-ridden 5-2 favourite from Michael Bell’s Pretty Pollyanna was far more emphatic than her length success at Newmarket at the start of the month.
The success of the front-running daughter of Galileo justified O’Brien’s decision to target yesterday’s race rather than Friday’s mileand-a-half Oaks at Epsom. However, the stamina Hermosa showed in winning the mile race means she is likely to be tested over the Oaks distance later in the season.
O’Brien (right) said: ‘The plan was changed to come here rather than go to the Oaks, and then go from here to the Prix de Diane in three weeks. I’m so delighted that we did.
‘She’s a lovely mare and we felt that she’d progressed from Newmarket. I think she showed that today.
‘She could go further and her sister (Hydrangea) got a mile and a half. We’ll see how she gets on in France before thinking about that.’ Disappointments of the race were Roger Varian’s 1,000 Guineas third Qabala and Kevin Ryan’s French 1,000 Guineas third East, who were quickly beaten and finished second-last and last respectively in the 10- horse line-up. O’Brien, who also won the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup with Moore- ridden Magical, has confirmed that Chester Vase winner and ante- post favourite Sir Dragonet will be supplemented to Saturday’s Derby field at today’s penultimate declaration stage at a cost of £85,000. The complexion of the Derby will be changed if trainer Hughie Morrison also gives the green light for Dante Stakes winner Telecaster to be supplemented.
Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby, who won last year’s Derby with Masar, will leave Line Of Duty in the race despite his tame showing in the Dante.
Appleby, who will have to continue without stable jockey William Buick after he revealed his recent absence from the track is down to post-head injury syndrome following a fall at Ascot on May 11, wants rain for his colt.
But while showers are forecast at the Surrey track this week, they are unlikely to change the going significantly from the current description of good.