Bluestocking denies Emily Upjohn in Pretty Polly thriller

Four-year-old filly Bluestocking gained her first Group 1 victory in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday (29th June) six weeks after her success in the Gr.2 Middleton Stakes at York's Dante meeting.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 30th June 2024, by Tom Frary:

Saturday's Gr.1 Pretty Polly Stakes served up a thriller, with TDN Rising Star Bluestocking running down Emily Upjohn in the final yards for a deserved top-level breakthrough. With abundant rain falling on The Curragh throughout the day, the Ralph Beckett-trained four-year-old who was herself cruelly denied late in last year's Irish Oaks held the upper hand in terms of ground preference and traded as the 11-10 favourite as a result. Settled in mid-division early by Rossa Ryan, the homebred was left behind at the top of the straight as Kieran Shoemark set sail on the Gosdens' star en route to certain victory. Picking up as she had when the six-length winner of York's Gr.2 Middleton Fillies' Stakes last month, Bluestocking gradually ate into her rival's sizeable advantage to pass Emily Upjohn in the last 50 yards for a half-length success, with three and three-quarter lengths back to Content in third.

"Rossa had an inkling that Emily Upjohn might go forward at some point and in a way it helped us, as it gave us something to aim at," Beckett said. "Irish Oaks Day will live long in the memory for the wrong reasons, but it doesn't matter now. This justified the decision to stay in training and we learnt a good deal about her on Irish Oaks day last year - we know now to hold on to her a bit longer and today is perfect recompense."

Bluestocking, who was sporting cheekpieces for the first time when second in the Gr.1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October and when romping at York last time, was without headgear here as she took herself to the next level. "She travelled so well at York, we felt she didn't need them anymore - she finds plenty under pressure - but whether we put them back on we'll see," Beckett explained. "You'd think the [Gr.1] Nassau is the right place to go and she clearly enjoys York, she's run well twice there, so the [Gr.1] Yorkshire Oaks will probably be a good idea as well. She's versatile in terms of ground and I wouldn't be afraid to run her on really fast ground, so it's all in front of us. I don't think trip is that important, I just think conditions have to be right and they were today."