Pretty Polly Stakes 2012

4.20 Curragh

Barclays Bank Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes (Fillies' Group 1) (Class 1)  (3YO plus)

Winner €114,000

Advice: 1 pt double Famous Name (3.45 Curragh) & Sapphire (4.20 Curragh) (3.53 Bet Victor)

I’m A Dreamer: Disappointed last year after wide margin win in Group3 Stakes although better efforts towards the end of last season when beaten a head in Woodbine Group 1; Placed both starts this year but needs more and not sure this ground suits her.

Izzi Top: Third in last year’s Oaks (strong form) and unbeaten in three runs since, winning Saint Cloud Group 3 (soft) by just a head before coming back in style when winning Dahila Stakes (under penalty) and then the Middleton Stakes in good style at York; Outstanding choice of the field and the only worry would have to be just how soft the ground is riding.

Sapphire: Most impressive performance (now 4-8) when dismissing inferior rivals with ease in Group 3 at Cork latest (runner up Listed placed, third had been second in Group 3); Sure to come on a lot for that and likely that small field won’t inconvenience her, so has to be taken very seriously.

Up: Never seriously got a chance in the French Oaks(badly troubled passage) after good effort in the French Guineas when forced into a bad passage from early on in the straight; Obvious appeal with a clear run but not sure that the ground is to her liking and would have wanted to see more in the latter stage.

VERDICT: What could have been a cracking Group 1 has been decimated by Ground realted withdrawals, despite the fact that we have 4 good fillies and mares here. While Up retains her potential and I’m A Dreamer is a good filly, neither has soft ground form and they look up against it here to be honest against two top class fillies in Izzi Top and SAPPHIRE. Izzi Top has the better form so far, but there’s a feeling that she’d be much the better on good ground and Dermot Weld’s runner has the ideal opportunity to get off the mark in Group 1 company today. She looks well worth doubling with stablemae Famous Name – who faces a field rated well below him, while his main rival hasn’t run for nearly a year - in the 3.45 at around 3/1.