Wootton Bassett’s Whirl Wins Pretty Polly Stakes

Saturday saw Whirl (3f Wootton Bassett – Salsa, by Galileo) complete a terrific treble for Ballydoyle and Wootton Bassett at the Curragh when capturing the feature Group 1 the Pretty Polly Stakes.

A Group 3 winner as a juvenile, Aidan O’Brien’s charge ran out an impressive winner of the Group 3 Musidora Stakes in May, before getting within a neck of stablemate Minnie Hauk in the Epsom Oaks. The Coolmore homebred was sent off second-favourite to Group 1-winning four-year-old Kalpana on Saturday and was ridden to make all by Ryan Moore.

The older mare produced a challenge two furlongs from home, heading Whirl before the final furlong, but the daughter of Wootton Bassett dug deep to regain the lead inside the final furlong and ran on to score by a length and a quarter. French raider Survie (Churchill) finished a further length and three quarters back in third, while Wemightakedlongway (Australia) finished fourth.

“Whirl is very special and Ryan [Moore] gave her a great ride,” O’Brien commented. “For a filly coming back from a mile and a half and when you're trying to outstay a rival, it's very difficult. You're walking a tightrope but he got it spot on.

“Colin [Keane, on Kalpana] and Ryan weren't giving each other an inch the whole way. That's what you want to come racing to watch. It makes it very special and I think it's a race we will remember for a long time.

“We saw in the Oaks that she wasn't surrendering and we saw it again today. She could go for the Nassau or York for the Yorkshire Oaks. She has so many options.”

Whirl is bred on the same Wootton Bassett/Galileo cross as dual Group 1 winner Al Riffa. Her dam, Salsa, is a winning full-sister to Group 1 winners Hydrangea (Galileo), The United States (Galileo) and Hermosa (Galileo).