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Qualify the lone filly in 150th running of the Irish Derby Saturday's 150th renewal of the Irish Derby (Ire-G1) at The Curragh had looked for a while as if it could be a target for many of the season's leading fillies, but after Monday's declaration and Friday's confirmation stage the representation has been whittled down to just one -- Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) winner Qualify (Fastnet Rock). Had it not been for owner Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's decision to supplement on Monday there would have been none of that gender lining up, as the Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) heroine Pleascach (Teofilo) was absent from the final list. Despite Jim Bolger's assertion that the latter would be taking on the colts prior to her second in last Thursday's Ribblesdale S. (Eng-G2) at Royal Ascot, her withdrawal leaves Jack Hobbs (Halling) as the lone Godolphin representative. Of all the second-entries made last month -- which also included another high-profile filly in English One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) winner Legatissimo (Danehill Dancer) -- Jack Hobbs is the only one to take his chance. Qualify, who bids to emulate Salsabil and Balanchine in completing the Oaks-Irish Derby double, forms part of a four-pronged attack from Ballydoyle and will be reunited with her Epsom jockey, Colm O'Donoghue, while Ryan Moore will partner Prix du Jockey Club (Fr-G1) runner-up Highland Reel (Galileo). The Curragh's General Manager Paul Hensey was satisfied with the final field. "We've the second, third and fourth from Epsom, the second horse from the Prix du Jockey Club, the winner of the Epsom Oaks, the winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial and we've got an unbeaten Aga Khan horse with Dermot Weld, so we've not done too bad," Hensey said. "It will be a terrific weekend and we're really looking forward to it." The going is currently good-to-firm at The Curragh, with further watering a possibility. "We continued to water through the day and I suspect we will water again on Friday, probably the Derby track again on fresh ground for Saturday," Hensey continued. "We are expecting some rain overnight, maybe five millimeters, so we will evaluate the whole situation in the morning and see how much more we need to do." Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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