Harrington double-handed in hunt for Blue Wind prize

PA Sport Reporters
May 7, 2021 2:30 pm

Silence Please and Sacred Rhyme line up at Naas.

Jessica Harrington fires a twin assault in her bid for back-to-back victories in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Blue Wind Stakes at Naas.

The Moone-based trainer saddled One Voice to land a rescheduled running of the Group Three contest at Leopardstown last season and is this year represented by Silence Please and Sacred Rhyme.

Silence Please sets the standard, having touched off aforementioned stablemate One Voice in the Listed Salsabil Stakes at Navan last summer, before going on to run with credit at Pattern level.

With just three runs under her belt, Sacred Rhyme is far less exposed and there was plenty to like about her comeback third in this season’s Salsabil Stakes a fortnight ago.

Harrington said: “I’m looking forward to the Blue Wind Stakes. Shane Foley rides Silence Please with Tom Madden on Sacred Rhyme and I’m hoping for a big run from both of them.

“Silence Please had a good year last year, finishing off with a second-placed finish in a mile-and-a-half Group Three at Leopardstown, having been fourth in the German Oaks.

“This is her first run of the season and we are looking forward to another good year, but you have to get started.

“I also have Sacred Rhyme in there. She ran very, very well in the Salsabil at Navan, when she finished third. She’s a lovely filly with some big entries and you’d be hoping she improves for that outing.”

Aidan O’Brien is also double-handed in Saturday’s feature, with High Heels and Willow declared.

Insinuendo (Willie McCreery), Thunder Kiss (Ger Lyons), Dearg Jazz (James Barrett) and Emaniya (Dermot Weld) are the other hopefuls.