Bluestocking gave jockey Rossa Ryan a first Irish Group 1 victory with success in the Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday afternoon.
Trained in England by Ralph Beckett, last year’s Darley Irish Oaks runner-up, had to battle late to get past last season’s Group 1 Coronation Stakes winner Emily Upjohn in the one mile two furlongs contest.
With Lumiere Rock and Dylan Browne McMonagle cutting out the early pace, the John and Thady Gosden-handled Emily Upjohn looked a serious threat as she loomed up on the outside of the Joseph O’Brien-trained daughter of Saxon Warrior.
With rider Kieran Shoemark looking confident aboard Emily Upjohn, she was soon joined by the Juddmonte Farms’-owned Bluestocking and Galway native Rossa Ryan in the saddle.
The two fillies battled gamely to the line, with Bluestocking, a daughter of Camelot, holding sway on the line, with half a length called as the official distance between winner and runner-up.
With the visiting runners taking the first and second place, Aidan O’Brien’s Content, with Ryan Moore in the saddle, was best of the home team, three and three-quarter lengths further back in third place.
Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore had earlier teamed up for a Group double, with Truly Enchanting and Jan Breughel tasting success.
Truly Enchanting,13th in the Group 2 Queen Mary over five furlongs recently at Royal Ascot, was in the winner’s enclosure today, taking the six-furlong Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes for fillies from Adrian Murray-trained and David Egan-ridden California Dreamer in the colours of AMO Racing Limited.
The second part of the Coolmore, O’Brien, Moore Group double was the success of Jan Breughel in the Group 3 Al Basti Equiworld International Stakes over one mile two furlongs.
Jan Breughel, a full-brother to Dawn Rising who was winner of the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2023, had a neck advantage over the Joseph O’Brien-trained and Dylan Browne McMonagle-ridden Trustyourinstinct in the colours of J.P. McManus.
