Stay Alert could bid for Pretty Polly compensation in France

Simon Milham
July 21, 2023 12:19 pm

Prix Jean Romanet preferred option for Hughie Morrison’s filly.

Stay Alert looks set to head to France in a bid to gain some form of compensation for her unfortunate runner-up effort in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

The Group One contest produced a somewhat messy conclusion as the George Boughey-trained winner Via Sistina drifted across the track in the final furlong, impeding the placed horses in winning by two lengths under Jamie Spencer, who was suspended for six days.

Ben and Sir Martyn Arbib, who own Hughie Morrison’s second-placed Stay Alert, appealed against the decision not to revise the placings, but to no avail.

Look at her go! 👀
Via Sistina shows a great turn of foot to be first past the post in the Yulong Pretty Polly Stakes under @JPSPENCER1980 for @gbougheyracing.
Stewards Enquiry called after several runners suffered interference near the finish. @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/txE6Sopv4I

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 1, 2023

Though Stay Alert holds an entry in the Yorkshire Oaks on August 24, Morrison is favouring a trip to the Group One Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville four days earlier.

He said: “Ideally, I would go to France for the Romanet, over a mile and a quarter.

“The Yorkshire Oaks is afterwards and we can go there if we were not happy with something going to France. The Yorkshire Oaks is Plan B.”

One For Bobby is another talented filly at the Summerdown yard and she landed her biggest career success to date in the Group Three Grand Prix de Vichy on Wednesday evening.

Formerly trained by Johnny Murtagh, One For Bobby defeated Bolthole by three-quarters of a length in the 10-furlong contest.

One For Bobby made it two wins from three for Morrison (Matt Alexander/PA)

Morrison will try to keep his two talented fillies apart and has not completely ruled out heading to Munich for the Group One Bayerisches Zuchtrennen, over a similar distance, on Sunday week.

“If we can keep them apart we will,” said Morrison. “One goes better on softer ground and one is better on faster ground, but they both go on good ground.

“I will talk to the owners and try to keep them apart.

“Actually, One For Bobby is in a Group One in Munich on Sunday week, because we were keeping our options open.

“If it was in three weeks after that (run), I would probably be going to Munich.

“I haven’t had a long chat to the owner yet, but prior to having won a Group race, (we felt) a Group One place would be at least as good as a Group Two win, so be brave and aim high.

“I think she won in conditions where you’d think she might be better in softer ground. She could win a weak Group One.

“She had been Group Two-placed last year and she is rated 104, so if they take the form at face value, she will go up to 109. The runner-up was rated 111.

“I think Munich is unlikely, but we’ll keep options open. You could go for the Prix Vermeille (at ParisLongchamp in September) and it might suit her, a mile and a half in France, we’ll see.”

Quickthorn is on course for the Goodwood Cup (John Walton/PA)

Meanwhile, crack stayer Quickthorn, who bounced back to form when making most of the running to beat subsequent Group Two Princess of Wales’s Stakes scorer Israr in a Listed race at York last month, remains on course for the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.

Morrison was primed to send the Lady Blyth-owned six-year-old to ParisLongchamp in a bid to win the Group Two Prix Maurice de Nieuil for a second successive season.

However, connections instead favoured a trip to the Sussex Downs for the two-mile Group One contest, for which he is a 10-1 shot with Coral.

“We were going to go to France, but the owners want to have a go at the Goodwood Cup, so that’s where we’re going,” said Morrison. “He’s in good form and that York form worked out pretty well didn’t it?”