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Iridessa, who gave Joseph O’Brien his first British Group 1 victory when landing the bet365 Fillies’ Mile in October, will try to give her young handler an initial British Classic success when she is part of a 15-strong line-up for the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse on Sunday (5th May).
| A £500,000 Group 1 event run over the same course and distance as the Fillies’ Mile, the QIPCO 1000 Guineas is the first race in the Fillies & Mares category of the 2019 QIPCO British Champions Series. Having won four British Classics as a jockey prior to his retirement in early 2016, O’Brien is still only 25 years old and trains from a yard in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Iridessa , who will be ridden by his 20-year-old brother, Donnacha O’Brien, has run once since the Fillies’ Mile, finishing two and a half lengths third to Lady Kaya in the 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on 6th April. That was over only seven furlongs and Iridessa will be 3lbs better off when she meets Lady Kaya again on Sunday. The O’Brien boys will also face four fillies trained by their father, Aidan, most notably Just Wonderful and Fairyland. Both can already boast prestigious Rowley Mile victories – Just Wonderful won the Group 2 Shadwell Rockfel Stakes there on 28th September while the following day Fairyland landed the Group 1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes. A powerful seven-strong Irish challenge for the QIPCO 1000 Guineas is completed by Skitter Scatter, who had Lady Kaya two lengths behind when lifting the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh last September. The home defence centres around the main protagonists from last month’s two big trial races – the Group 3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes over seven furlongs of the Rowley Mile and the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes, run over the same trip at Newbury. Roger Varian’s Qabala beat her stablemate, Mot Juste, by a length and three-quarters in the Nell Gwyn and the pair will clash again on Sunday, along with the third and fourth home, Angel’s Hideaway and Look Around. Also reopposing will be Dandhu and Iconic Choice, separated by a short head when first and second in the Fred Darling. Joseph O’Brien, trainer of Iridessa, said: “Iridessa is in good shape and ran very well in the Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial. She was drawn out wide which did not help on that tight track but I was happy with that run and the plan has always been to go straight on to the QIPCO 1000 Guineas. “The step back up to a mile should suit, she seemed to handle the course and distance well last year, and hopefully she will go on to be an Oaks filly. “It would be a dream to win my first British Classic. It’s great to even be taking part in these kind of races and it is why we get up every morning.” |
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