Aidan O’Brien’s horse Minding, today steps up another length to try to win the Sea the Stars Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh this afternoon, the race is over 1m 2f and a step up from her last race and the one before that. In today’s race she is up against older horses, at three she is the youngest but not without pedigree. Already this year she has won The Qipco 1000 Guineas and The Investec Oaks earlier this month, so she isn’t a stranger to class 1 titles. Today Minding is ridden by Ryan Moore, O’Brien’s winning jockey; together they have amassed a huge number of wins this year already.
O’Brien has said this morning Minding is in good form even though she has had a rest since The Oaks, she doesn’t like too many extremes in the ground but today's, good to yielding should suit her.
Odds are in her favour today, so Paddy Power has the best odds at 2/9. This is only a five horse race so it looks like, barring a disaster, that Minding will step up to another first class win for O’Brien.
Koora, the second favourite today, trained by Luca Cumani, who has a realistic view on her chances in this race, he knows Minding is an excellent horse and today has a lot of advantages, so is hoping Koora, can just run a good race and finish second. Odds on Koora are 10/1 with William Hill.
Speedy Boarding is the third favourite from the five runners, trained by James Fanshawe, and today ridden by Frederik Tylicki. Fanshawe also realises the class of Minding and again, is hoping for his filly to just finish in a top spot. So it looks like this is really a one horse race, with the trainers accepting Minding could probably walk it today. Odds on speedy Boarding are 14/1 with Ladbrokes.
Congratulations to Harzand for yesterday’s Derby win at the Curragh, another amazing ride for Pat Smullen.
Plenty of other racing around today in the Uk with Cartmel, Uttoxeter and Windsor, holding meetings. There is also racing at Dortmund in Germany and across the pond there is racing at Santa Anita.
Good Luck today.