Diamondsandrubies enjoys better fortune in Pretty Polly

A badly hampered fourth in the Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) after annexing last

month's Cheshire Oaks, Roisin Henry and Susan Magnier's Diamondsandrubies

(Fastnet Rock) bounced back in game fashion to make almost all in Sunday's

Pretty Polly S. (Ire-G1) at the Curragh.

Asserting for the lead along the rail after the initial exchanges, the 8-1

chance was pestered by Secret Gesture (Galileo) into the stretch run and, once

seeing off that rival under a drive approaching the final eighth, kept on

resolutely in the dying embers to bravely hold One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1)

victress Legatissimo (Danehill Dancer) and last term's Prix Jean Romanet (Fr-G1)

winner Ribbons (Manduro) by a short head and a neck in a three-way photo.

"I rode her in Epsom and it didn't really swing my way," said winning rider

Seamus Heffernan. "Sometimes Epsom finishes a horse and sometimes the good

horses thrive on it. She's obviously good and we thought she'd stay.

"I jumped to be forward and she landed in front, and I was happy enough to go

along with it. I knew they were coming, but I knew where the line was. Aidan

(O'Brien) trains them to progress from run to run and today she was at her best

so hopefully there will be more improvement."

Diamondsandrubies, who ran sixth to Tamadhor (Arcano) going seven furlongs at

Leopardstown in her only juvenile start last September, opened her sophomore

campaign with an April 9 Tipperary maiden win upped a quarter-mile and hit the

board behind Bocca Baciata (Big Bad Bob) and Pleascach (Teofilo) in the Salsabil

S. at Navan nine days later. The bay was back on song when streaking to a

six-length score around Chester's tight oval in the May 6 Cheshire Oaks despite

being slapped in the face by a rival's whip, but suffered a horror trip when

hampered badly in the straight before rallying gamely to finish fourth in the

Epsom Oaks last time June 5. Diamondsandrubies will now point to the July 18

Irish Oaks (Ire-G1) back here.

"She was very unlucky at Epsom and probably the most inconvenienced by the

whole thing," O'Brien said. "She was always going to come here and we said we'd

let (Oaks winner) Qualify (Fastnet Rock) take her chance in the (Irish) Derby

([Ire-G1] where she finished sixth). We'd like to have got a lead, but that's

not the way it worked out, and Seamie gave her a great ride.

"(Jockey) Emmet McNamara rides her out every day at home and does a great

job. We know the dam (Quarter Moon) well and I'm delighted for (part-owners)

Richard and Roisin (Henry).

"We'll ride her a bit more patiently over a mile-and-a-half, and Qualify and

Words (Dansili) will also run in the Irish Oaks."

Legatissimo once again fell the wrong side of a narrow verdict, having been

nailed by Qualify in the dying strides at Epsom. Pleascach, who was unable to

add to her Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) triumph in the June 18

Ribblesdale S. (Eng-G2) at Royal Ascot last time, held every chance in the

straight, but failed to display her usual sparkle and finished fifth.

Diamondsandrubies's dam, the Moyglare Stud S. (Ire-G1)-winning Quarter Moon

(Sadler's Wells), is a full sister to the Irish One Thousand Guineas winner and

Epsom Oaks runner-up Yesterday. The family also boasts Poule d'Essai des

Poulains (Fr-G1) scorer Aussie Rules (Danehill) and numerous other Group 1

winners.

O'Brien sent out the top two finishers in the Curragh Cup (Ire-G3), as the

Galileo three-year-olds Bondi Beach and Order of St George overturned older

horses in the 14-furlong test. Heffernan was again aboard the winner.

Bondi Beach went untested as a juvenile and opened up with a short-head

victory over stablemate Bantry Bay (Galileo) going 12 furlongs at Leopardstown

May 10 before dead-heating for second in the King George V Cup over that same

course and distance last time June 5. Steadied in second after breaking on the

lead here, he came under pressure when shuffled back one spot on the home turn

and stayed on in determined fashion, despite Heffernan dropping his whip, once

hooking up with Order of St George approaching the final eighth to embellish the

rider's banner day in another thrilling bobber.

Ascot Gold Cup (Eng-G1) third Forgotten Rules (Nayef) went off as the 8-13

chalk, but was unable to match the late kick of the O'Brien pair. He was

collared for third on the line by Drifting Mist (Muhtathir).

"They look two proper St Leger (Eng-G1) horses, and have pulled right away as

well," commented O'Brien. "The mile and six furlongs helped Bondi Beach and

Seamie gave him a great ride. Order Of St George was entitled to get tired as he

was ready in the spring and then got a temperature. He could go for something

like the (August 19 Great) Voltigeur S. (Eng-G2) at York, while the winner may

not need another run (before the September 12 St Leger at Doncaster)."

Of Heffernan, O'Brien added, "Seamie has been with us since the start. He's a

world-class rider and always was, and has been riding big-race winners for us

for so long. He's a massive part of the team and nobody deserves today more than

him."

Hot on the heels of Painted Cliffs (Canford Cliffs) providing a first stakes

success for his freshman sire in Saturday's Railway S. (Ire-G2) over this course

and six-furlong distance, Most Beautiful (Canford Cliffs) doubled that tally on

black-type bow in the Grangecon Stud S. (Ire-G3).

The David Wachman trainee progressed off a debut fourth in an April 27

five-furlong maiden at Naas and accounted for subsequent Norfolk S. (Eng-G2)

hero Waterloo Bridge (Zoffany) in an all-gender affair when graduating upped one

panel at Navan last time May 30. Stalking the pace in a close second after an

alert exit, the 11-8 favorite eased to the front approaching the final furlong

and was ridden out inside the last 150 yards to comfortably hold Only Mine (Pour

Moi). The pacesetting Miss Elizabeth (Intense Focus) kept on gamely once headed

inside the final quarter-mile and finished a close-up third.

"She's always worked like a good filly," revealed Wachman. "She's big and is

still a bit weak, you could see that in the last furlong, and she has a nice

future.

"(Ireland Rugby International and part-owner) Ronan (O'Gara) couldn't be here

today as he's on a family holiday in the south of France, but I'd say he won't

miss the next day wherever that is. She's well entered up and will go further.

The one thing is she likes goodish ground."

The Ralph Beckett-trained Air Pilot (Zamindar) captured the International

(Ire-G3) from only two rivals, Parish Hall (Teofilo) and Roheryn (Galileo).

Progressing out of handicaps to run third in the October 17 Darley S.

(Eng-G3) at Newmarket, Air Pilot garnered a first black-type score in the

November 1 James Seymour S. back at Headquarters and hit the board once more in

the Huxley S. (Eng-G3) at Chester on seasonal return last time May 7. Leading

his two rivals at little more than a hack canter after a sharp getaway, he was

shoved along soon after turning for home and outsprinted Parish Hall under a

final-quarter drive to register a career high.

"We were lucky to fall into a three-runner Group 3," admitted Beckett.

"There's not many of those around and we didn't want to make the running as he's

lazy in front. Ryan (Moore) felt he probably did more on Thursday morning before

he came over. I thought Ger Lyons's filly (Roheryn) was sure to go on, but they

obviously decided otherwise.

"He's a (Lady Cobham) homebred and had problems as a three-year-old, and only

came to me at the beginning of last year. He's ground dependent and needs juice

in the ground. The rain last night was a big help. He was entitled to win a race

of that nature."

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