Whirl denies Kalpana in pulsating Pretty Polly Stakes
The Group One event looked a match on paper between Andrew Balding's proven Group One performer Kalpana (5-6 favourite) and Aidan O'Brien's narrow Oaks second, and so it proved as the pair served up a Curragh Classic.
Ryan Moore was quickly away dictating terms aboard the 13-8 second-favourite, with Colin Keane never far away aboard the Juddmonte-owned Kalpana and must have thought the race was his for the taking when Whirl was asked for maximum effort with two furlongs to run with Kalpana still travelling menacingly.
However, Whirl was not for giving in and after a titanic tussle the Wootton Bassett filly pulled out extra inside the final furlong to shade a length and a quarter verdict and deny Juddmonte back-to-back victories in the feature event after Bluestocking 12 months ago.
Group 1 glory!
Whirl strikes from Kalpana in a thrilling €300,000 @paddypower Pretty Polly Stakes for Ryan Moore, Aidan O'Brien and Ballydoyle 👏 @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/76Eys2rB3i
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 28, 2025
'She's an incredible filly. She's just progressed and she loves getting into a fight,' said O'Brien.
'Obviously we saw that she stays a mile and a half at Epsom. She's absolutely concrete, really. We knew that obviously she wouldn't mind the mile and a quarter as she was very impressive in York when she won the Musidora.
'They got into a battle turning in and battling all the way up the straight like that at the Curragh takes some courage and they kept going together. Ryan said he felt 50 yards from the line that she had a look at the camera and he knew he had her then.'
O'Brien was winning the Pretty Polly for the sixth time and reserved special praise for Moore, who was joining the list of great jockeys who have won the race three times.
'Ryan gave her a brilliant ride, he got the fractions absolutely spot on,' added O'Brien.
Whirl returns after winning the Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/AD4vMeu7bu
— Irishracing.com Live (@IrishRacing365) June 28, 2025
'It's a difficult thing when you are running a mile-and-a-half filly back at a mile and a quarter. You are trying to spread the stamina out over a mile and a quarter without stretching the elastic too long, but he got it absolutely spot on.
'He got the favourite to challenge him and this filly gets a mile and a half so there was no point turning it into a sprint. It was the plan to spread it out and let the two of them get together and see who was going to be the best.
'As they say 'let the best horse jump the ditch' after that. Two great jockeys, what can I say about Ryan, day in day out he's incredible.
'They went strong and the two of them went together. Ryan and Colin knew they were each other's dangers and they weren't going to give each other an inch, which they couldn't afford to.
All smiles from Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien (Brian Lawless/PA)
'Those kind of races are few and far between. When you have that type of quality horse lining up and two riders like that. On ground like this, in a place like this, it's a very special weekend.'
As for the future for his winner, O'Brien is inclined to keep an open mind, with Whirl's Epsom conqueror Minnie Hauk also up his sleeve for the season's major events.
He said: 'She can go anywhere now this filly. She can come back here to the Oaks, she can go to the Nassau (at Goodwood).
'She's an unusual filly. She's tough and she's not even blowing there, her nostrils weren't even flaring.
'She's obviously a very high-class filly and it's very exciting. It's possible she's kept apart from Minnie Hauk, but the lads could let them run together in the Oaks.
'I'd imagine if Minnie Hauk comes back to the Oaks and she's well she'll be let go by herself and this filly could do other things.
'She's not slow either.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Spirit Mixer produces 25-1 Northumberland Plate surprise
Spirit Mixer made it third time lucky in the JenningsBet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. A close second to top-class stayer Trueshan in 2023, Andrew Balding's charge could finish only ninth 12 months ago and went off at 25-1 on this latest visit to Gosforth Park for a race affectionately known as the 'Pitmen's Derby'. Bred in the purple as a son of Frankel and owner Jeff Smith's Group One-winning mare Arabian Queen, Spirit Mixer was delivered with his challenge in the home straight and knuckled down to get the better Dancing In Paris by a neck under a delighted Rob Hornby, who travelled north for a solitary ride. Spirit Mixer comes out on top in the Northumberland Plate! The son of Frankel digs deep to take the prize at the third attempt, getting the better of Dancing In Paris on the run for home for @rob_hornby18 and @AndrewBalding2 at @NewcastleRaces! — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 28, 2025 'He was never a 25-1 shot in my head. I've won big races on him before and he was coming in off the back of a really good run at Goodwood,' said the jockey. 'I could have gone to Windsor and had four or five rides, but I wanted to come and ride him. He's a horse that's done no harm to me and it's fantastic to get that sort of reward today. 'There's a great crowd here today – I don't usually make the trek up north this far! I put it in my Sat Nav and it's just over five hours to get home, so this will make it a bit easier.' He added: 'He's such a cool horse, he's seven years old now and a beautifully-bred homebred of Mr Smith's. He's just thriving and really enjoying his racing at his tender age. 'The race went pretty smooth. I thought I was jostling for the lead early enough, but he got into a battle and outstayed them then inside the last furlong. 'It's important to be riding winners on Saturdays in these big races and I've been fortunate enough to win a July Cup in these colours (on Alcohol Free), they mean a great deal to me, as does riding winners for Kingsclere. 'What a joy he is to own and to train and to ride.'
South Wales Guardian
5 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Lambourn aiming to join list of Ballydoyle greats
O'Brien has won the Curragh showpiece a record 16 times, including in the past two seasons with Auguste Rodin (2023) and Los Angeles (2024), and now Lambourn will bid to replicate his sire Australia by following up blue riband success from Epsom on home soil. 'He's a lovely horse and like Australia himself, an absolute gentleman,' said O'Brien. 'He has a great mind, stays well and is uncomplicated. He's a lovely horse to do anything with and he's just one of those very unique horses – he's scopey and classy and obviously we were delighted with him in Epsom. 'Wayne (Lordan) gave him a beautiful ride at Epsom and Ryan (Moore) rode him the same in Chester – he rode him forward. He won his races doing that last year and when you have a horse like that who is not held hostage to any other horse in the race or anything, he's just so straightforward. 'Australia was the only horse we ever had here with no fight or flight response and this horse is the same. When you put him in first gear he stays in first gear and second gear is the same and third, fourth up along. 'He's not influenced by any of his surroundings or any horse around him – he's a total independent thinker and those type of horses are really a pleasure to deal with.' It was Joseph O'Brien who was aboard Lambourn's sire Australia for his father when he secured dual Derby honours in 2014 and he will now seek to win the race for a second time as a trainer with Epsom third Tennessee Stud after Latrobe's success in 2018. 'We were very proud of Tennessee Stud's run in Epsom. He got back a little bit early, but he came home very strong,' said O'Brien. 'The plan was to come back to the Curragh and his preparation has gone smoothly. We are excited about a rematch with Lambourn. 'I think Tennessee Stud is open to a lot of improvement. His first run of the year was off an extended lay off, he came forward a lot from that run in Epsom where he ran a career best and we'd love if he could run another career best in the Curragh.' Ralph Beckett knows what it is like to win the Irish Derby following Epsom disappointment, having seen Westover gain Classic compensation on the Curragh in 2022, and will hope to see his Dante scorer Pride Of Arras bounce back after misfiring in his first shot at Classic glory. Pride Of Arras remains unbeaten to win the @ABE_Dubai Dante Stakes at 18/1! The Lion In Winter finishes sixth on his return at @yorkracecourse @RalphBeckett | @Rossaryan15 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 15, 2025 One of two in the race for Beckett alongside Cocked Hat runner-up Sir Dinadan, the Pride Of Arras team are firmly retaining belief in the talented son of New Bay and feel a trip to the Curragh could inspire a return to the sparkling form he showed previously at York. 'You would think Lambourn will try to do similar to what he did at Epsom, we've just got to try and see if we can get closer,' said Patrick Cooper, owners David and Vimy Aykroyd's racing manager. 'The Curragh is one of the great racecourses in the world and the track at the Curragh is as good as there is anywhere – it will suit everyone and there is no horse who isn't suited by the Curragh. 'When you have a good horse like this you have to enjoy it and he showed us how good he was in the Dante, so we're entitled to keep dreaming.' Also taking their second crack at Classic glory is Jessica Harrington's Green Impact, who bounced back from his sixth in the 2000 Guineas to take the Glencairn Stakes earlier this month, with connections now keen to explore a mile and a half with the son of Wootton Bassett. Harrington said: 'At the time I was disappointed about the Guineas, but on reflection it wasn't a bad run and then he went on to win well at Leopardstown last time. After that it was a case of all roads lead to the Irish Derby. 'I think he'll stay. He's by Wootton Bassett out of a Galileo mare and is very laid back and relaxed. He's a big, long-striding horse and the Curragh should suit him.'
North Wales Chronicle
5 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Whirl denies Kalpana in pulsating Pretty Polly Stakes
The Group One event looked a match on paper between Andrew Balding's proven Group One performer Kalpana (5-6 favourite) and Aidan O'Brien's narrow Oaks second, and so it proved as the pair served up a Curragh Classic. Ryan Moore was quickly away dictating terms aboard the 13-8 second-favourite, with Colin Keane never far away aboard the Juddmonte-owned Kalpana and must have thought the race was his for the taking when Whirl was asked for maximum effort with two furlongs to run with Kalpana still travelling menacingly. However, Whirl was not for giving in and after a titanic tussle the Wootton Bassett filly pulled out extra inside the final furlong to shade a length and a quarter verdict and deny Juddmonte back-to-back victories in the feature event after Bluestocking 12 months ago. Group 1 glory! Whirl strikes from Kalpana in a thrilling €300,000 @paddypower Pretty Polly Stakes for Ryan Moore, Aidan O'Brien and Ballydoyle 👏 @curraghrace — Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 28, 2025 'She's an incredible filly. She's just progressed and she loves getting into a fight,' said O'Brien. 'Obviously we saw that she stays a mile and a half at Epsom. She's absolutely concrete, really. We knew that obviously she wouldn't mind the mile and a quarter as she was very impressive in York when she won the Musidora. 'They got into a battle turning in and battling all the way up the straight like that at the Curragh takes some courage and they kept going together. Ryan said he felt 50 yards from the line that she had a look at the camera and he knew he had her then.' O'Brien was winning the Pretty Polly for the sixth time and reserved special praise for Moore, who was joining the list of great jockeys who have won the race three times. 'Ryan gave her a brilliant ride, he got the fractions absolutely spot on,' added O'Brien. Whirl returns after winning the Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes @curraghrace — Live (@IrishRacing365) June 28, 2025 'It's a difficult thing when you are running a mile-and-a-half filly back at a mile and a quarter. You are trying to spread the stamina out over a mile and a quarter without stretching the elastic too long, but he got it absolutely spot on. 'He got the favourite to challenge him and this filly gets a mile and a half so there was no point turning it into a sprint. It was the plan to spread it out and let the two of them get together and see who was going to be the best. 'As they say 'let the best horse jump the ditch' after that. Two great jockeys, what can I say about Ryan, day in day out he's incredible. 'They went strong and the two of them went together. Ryan and Colin knew they were each other's dangers and they weren't going to give each other an inch, which they couldn't afford to. 'Those kind of races are few and far between. When you have that type of quality horse lining up and two riders like that. On ground like this, in a place like this, it's a very special weekend.' As for the future for his winner, O'Brien is inclined to keep an open mind, with Whirl's Epsom conqueror Minnie Hauk also up his sleeve for the season's major events. He said: 'She can go anywhere now this filly. She can come back here to the Oaks, she can go to the Nassau (at Goodwood). 'She's an unusual filly. She's tough and she's not even blowing there, her nostrils weren't even flaring. 'She's obviously a very high-class filly and it's very exciting. It's possible she's kept apart from Minnie Hauk, but the lads could let them run together in the Oaks. 'I'd imagine if Minnie Hauk comes back to the Oaks and she's well she'll be let go by herself and this filly could do other things. 'She's not slow either.'
