Diamondsandrubies Makes All in Pretty Polly
Description:
Diamondsandrubies won the Sea The Stars Pretty Polly Stakes (Ire-I) in a front-running tour de force that saw her hold off favorite Legatissimo by a short head June 28 at the Curragh.
Diamondsandrubies went immediately to the front and set the pace, pressed by Secret Gesture. The pair matched strides with a half mile to run as Brooch traveled easily in a close third. On the turn, Diamondsandrubies held a clear lead from Secret Gesture and, more than a furlong out, came under the whip.
Legatissimo launched her rally and loomed a threat from second just inside the furlong marker. That rival came with a very strong challenge on the inside and just failed to get up, as Diamondsandrubies gamely battled all the way to the line to win .
Ribbons unleashed her effort on the outside and closed to take third, a neck behind Legatissimo, the One Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) winner who was second in the Investec Epsom Oaks (Eng-I).
The final time for 1 1/4 miles on good turf was 2:07.38.
Victress in the Cheshire Oaks May 6, Diamondsandrubies was fourth in the Epsom Oaks June 5 for Susan Magnier and Mrs. Richard Henry. She has won half of her six career starts for trainer Aidan O'Brien and posted her first group triumph.
"I rode her in Epsom and it didn't really swing my way," winning rider Seamus Heffernan said. "Sometimes Epsom finishes a horse and sometimes the good horses thrive on it. She's obviously good.
"We thought she'd stay, and I jumped and she landed in front, and I was happy enough to go along with it. I knew (the challengers) were coming. I knew where the line was. I was a bit unlucky at Epsom. Aidan trains them to progress from run to run and today she was at her best, so hopefully there will be more improvement."
Diamondsandrubies, a daughter of Fastnet Rock, was bred in Ireland by Coolmore subsidiary Premier Bloodstock. Her dam is the Sadler's Wells mare Quarter Moon, whom Magnier and Henry campaigned to a victory the 2001 Moyglare Stud Stakes (Ire-I) and second in the 2002 Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks (Ire-I), and Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-I). Quarter Moon is a full sister to English classic winner Yesterday.