Pleascach

24th-May-2015

Found may well win the Irish Guineas, she may well provide Aidan O’Brien with a Guineas treble and Ryan Moore with a four-timer. She was just about the best juvenile filly in Europe last season, her form is rock solid, and it is difficult to decry her debut run this term, when she showed a fine turn of foot to go clear before just getting run down in the heavy ground.

That said, she is short (and) that makes a few other horses attractive in my book at current odds. Malabar is a filly that I like a lot, but I am still waiting for her to step up to 10 furlongs at least, ideally 12. She was always more an Oaks filly than a Guineas filly in my book.

Raydara was also on my shortlist. She was really impressive when ridden for a turn of foot in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes last season, coming from the rear to beat Lucida. However, she was not ready on time for the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, and it will be very difficult for her to win an Irish Guineas on her seasonal debut. She is another who is bred for 10 to 12 furlongs.

Joailliere was really impressive in winning on her debut at Gowran Park, and there is no knowing how good she could be. But this is a massive step up, and she is shorter than I thought she would be.

Bocca Baciata was also on my list, she was so impressive in beating Pleascach and Diamondsandrubies in the Salsabil Stakes, and that form has obviously worked out really well. However, she is priced up just about right at 7/1 ...

Pleascach has a length and a half to find with Bocca Baciata on their running at Navan, but Pleascach improved markedly from that to Naas 11 days ago, when she beat the highly-regarded Zannda by eight and a half lengths. It was a really impressive performance, she showed a nice turn of foot and galloped away from her rivals through the final furlong and a half.

Both her last two races were run over 10 furlongs, but Legatissimo came back from nine and a half furlongs to win the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, and Pleascach’s dam won over seven furlongs. She has plenty of pace, and a three-year-old filly needs stamina as well as speed to win an Irish Guineas. Kevin Manning should be able to adopt a prominent position on her from her outside draw, and she could run a big race.

PLEASCACH WON (ADV 9/1, SP 11/2)

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