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Hermosa to bid for 1000 Guineas double

English 1000 Guineas winner Hermosa heads up Aidan O'Brien's team for Sunday's Tattersalls Irish ...



Hermosa to bid for 1000 Guinea...
Racing

Hermosa to bid for 1000 Guineas double

English 1000 Guineas winner Hermosa heads up Aidan O'Brien's team for Sunday's Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh.

The Newmarket heroine is joined in the field by stablemates Coral Beach, Fairyland and Just Wonderful while Qabala heads up the British challenge.

Qabala, who was third to Hermosa at Newmarket was supplemented to the field last Tuesday morning and would be something of a fairy tale success for her 19-year-old jockey David Egan, who is a grandson of the late Dessie Hughes and grew up in the shadows of the Curragh Racecourse.

"Qabala hasn't missed a beat since the English Guineas," Varian said.

"She has trained nicely and looks well in herself. She ran such a good race in Newmarket having won the Nell Gwyn before that.

"She was tight for room with two furlongs to run at Newmarket and who knows, she might have finished closer.

"We felt if we were happy with her condition that she deserved another chance to take another shot at a Classic."

The trainer added, "She is a laid back worker, she's not too flashy in her work at home but her performance in the Nell Gwyn and particularly her performance in the Guineas told us just how good she is."

Frankie Dettori will ride the Michael Bell-trained Pretty Pollyanna.

Bell said earlier in the week, "We feel that there is every chance of her getting the mile a bit better this year now that she is a year older and we'd be hopeful of being involved at the business end.

"It is a good time to have runners when the yard is in good form. We won a Classic at the 'old Curragh' so we now want to win a Classic at the 'new Curragh' as well."

Joseph O'Brien, who just turned 26 this week, has already enjoyed Irish Classic success with Latrobe winning the Irish Derby last season and this weekend he saddles Iridessa.

"Iridessa is in good form since Newmarket so we’ll let her take her chance in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and see what happens.

"She is a big strong mare and we do think she has come forward since Newmarket but you need a bit of luck in these races and hopefully she’ll run well."

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