Late June/early July sees one of the biggest meetings of the season at the Curragh as the County Kildare track hosts the Irish Derby meeting. The colt’s Classic takes centre stage on the Sunday of the fixture, with Saturday’s Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes the chief supporting act.
These summertime Group 1 contests can often provide a valuable pointer or two for the remainder of the season, but has that proved the case in these events? Here, we look back at the subsequent exploits of the past five winners of the Pretty Polly Stakes and Irish Derby.
Pretty Polly Stakes
Named in honour of the brilliant 1904 Triple Crown-winning filly and held over 1m2f, this Group 1 event offers €300,000 (2024) in prize money and is open to fillies aged three and older.
2023 – Via Sistina
- Trainer – George Boughey
- Sire – Fastnet Rock
- Subsequent Wins – Ranvet Stakes
Arriving in Ireland on the back of a six-length romp in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket, Via Sistina once again proved much too good on her first crack at a Group 1. Dropping back to a mile didn’t suit her in the Falmouth Stakes next time, but she ended the season with a gallant nose defeat in the Prix Jean Romanet. Now based in Australia with Chris Waller, she picked up a second career Group 1 in the 2024 edition of the Ranvet Stakes.
2022 – La Petite Coco
- Trainer – Paddy Twomey
- Sire – Ruler Of The World
- Subsequent Wins – None
Arriving at the Curragh on a roll, following wins in the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes and Group 2 Blandford Stakes, this daughter of the 2013 Derby winner took the step up to Group 1 company in her stride when seeing off the William Haggas-trained My Astra. That was as good as it got for La Petite Coco, who tasted defeat at Group 1 and Group 2 level in her two subsequent outings.
2021 – Thundering Nights
- Trainer – Joseph O’Brien
- Sire – Night Of Thunder
- Subsequent Wins – None
Successful at Group 3 level during her three-year-old season, a four-year-old Thundering Nights registered a career-best effort when mastering the highly regarded Santa Barbara – hailing from the yard of Joseph’s father Aidan. Never so good again, she ended her career by coming up short in Group 1 company (twice) and at Group 2 level.
2020 – Magical
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Sire – Galileo
- Subsequent Wins – Tattersalls Gold Cup, Irish Champion Stakes
The undoubted pick of the past five winners is this wonderful Ballydoyle mare. Arriving at the Curragh as a nine-time winner – including the Group 1 quartet of the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares, Tattersalls Gold Cup, Irish Champion Stakes, and Qipco Champion Stakes – she sauntered to a 4½l success in this before adding a second Tattersalls Gold Cup and Irish Champion Stakes to her glittering CV.
2019 – Iridessa
- Trainer – Joseph O’Brien
- Sire – Ruler Of The World
- Subsequent Wins – Matron Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
The 2018 Fillies’ Mile winner could manage only eighth in the 1000 Guineas and fourth in the Irish 1000 Guineas. However, she bounced back when comfortably mastering Magic Wand, Pink Dogwood, and Wild Illusion in this contest. Proving that success to be no fluke, she backed it up with a third career Group 1 in the Matron Stakes before crossing the channel to grab gold at the Breeders’ Cup meeting.
Irish Derby
First run in 1866, this prestigious 1m4f contest drew inspiration from the original Derby at Epsom. Offering a huge €1.25m (2024) in prize money, legendary names such as Nijinsky, Shergar, Montjeu, and Galileo feature on the roll of honour.
2023 – Auguste Rodin
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Sire – Deep Impact
- Subsequent Wins – Irish Champion Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Turf, Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
With flops in the 2000 Guineas, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Sheema Classic, it hasn’t always been plain sailing for Auguste Rodin. However, when on song, he has proved nigh on unstoppable. Bagging a third Group 1 when claiming this event at odds of 4/11, he has since added three more and likely isn’t finished yet.
2022 – Westover
- Trainer – Ralphe Beckett
- Sire – Frankel
- Subsequent Wins – Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
Rob Hornby was mortified following the 2022 edition of the Epsom Derby – insisting Westover would have gone very close to beating Desert Crown had he secured a clear passage in the straight. Following a seven-length demolition job in this race, it was hard to argue with that assessment. Second to wonder horse Equinox in the Dubai Sheem Classic, he followed up his final Group 1 win at Saint-Cloud with runners-up efforts in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
2021 – Hurricane Lane
- Trainer – Charlie Appleby
- Sire – Frankel
- Subsequent Wins – Grand Prix de Paris, St. Leger Stakes, Jockey Club Stakes
Having won the Dante, Hurricane Lane was well fancied to follow up at Epsom, only to finish third behind 16/1 stablemate Adayar. Compensation awaited at the Curragh, as the colt came with a relentless late run under William Buick to grab Lone Eagle close home. He maintained his form to land the Grand Prix de Paris and St. Leger before going down by under a length in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Four of his final five starts yielded disappointment, with the only bright spot coming in the 2023 edition of the Jockey Club Stakes.
2020 – Santiago
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Sire – Authorized
- Subsequent Wins – None
Having shown impressive stamina to claim the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, Santiago handled this drop in trip well when holding on by a head to deny stablemate Tiger Moth – Aidan O’Brien saddling a 1-2-3-4 in the 2020 edition of this race. Santiago never won again though, coming closest when second in the 2021 Yorkshire Cup.
2019 – Sovereign
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Sire – Galileo
- Subsequent Wins – None
Representing the classic Aidan O’Brien/Galileo combo, Sovereign arrived at the Curragh without a win in five starts – failing to get involved when 9½l adrift of Anthony Van Dyck in the Epsom Derby. With Anthony Van Dyck again amongst the opposition, Sovereign was, understandably, sent off as a 33/1 shot. Belying those odds and taking advantage of a very easy lead, the mount of Paddy Beggy made just about all the running on his way to a six-length rout. Suggestions that this was a fluke result were backed up by the horse’s subsequent efforts, with Sovereign failing to win in the final six starts of his career.