French Classic glory is being targeted by trainer Fozzy Stack this Sunday when he tries to beat the odds with his filly Hermana Estrella.
The once-raced hopeful is among 19 horses left in the €500,000 Emirates Poule D’Essai des Pouliches, the French 1,000 Guineas, after Tuesday’s acceptance stage.
Aidan O'Brien has the option of running Toy although Dermot Weld has opted to skip the Longchamp race with Homeless Songs, who will instead wait for the Irish Guineas a week later.
It is 21 years since O’Brien won the fillies’ feature for the only time with Rose Gypsy.
However, he enjoyed significant success in last year’s French Classics with St Mark’s Basilica victorious in both the 2,000 Guineas and Derby, while Joan Of Arc landed the Oaks.
O’Brien is also set to fly the Irish flag in Sunday’s French 2,000 Guineas with The Acropolis. Ireland’s champion trainer has landed the Poule D’Essai des Poulains five times already.
In contrast his fellow Co Tipperary-based trainer has yet to break his duck at Group One level and Stack’s Pouliches hopes is very much the ‘dark horse’ of the race.
Hermana Estrella won her only start to date at Naas as a two-year-old when upsetting the odds with a 50-1 success last April.
There appeared to be no fluke about it though as the daughter of Starspangledbanner beat no less than subsequent Queen Mary winner Quick Suzy by a length.
Hermana Estrella is among the 20-1 outsiders for Sunday's contest but will have the assistance of Jamie Spencer in the saddle and carries no little confidence from her trainer.
“She’s very talented and has plenty speed. I don’t think she’ll ever want further than a mile. She’s just a good filly,” Stack said on Tuesday. “We gave her a break after she won with an eye on the Moyglare and Cheveley Park but we had a setback. She chipped a joint.”
The trainer, whose father Tommy enjoyed considerable Group One success when holding a licence, including the English 1,000 Guineas with Las Meninas, opted to skip a trial with his inexperienced filly.
“Timing wise the Leopardstown one came very early and the Athasi was too close. She has plenty done and she was in Tipperary [for a workout] the other day,” he said.
There will be proven Classic-winning form in Sunday’s race as the Newmarket Guineas heroine Cachet will attempt to complete a rare double. Among the leading home contenders will be Rosacea.
“That [Cachet’s inclusion] was a bit of a curve ball and I’m sure there are plenty of good fillies in France too,” said Stack, who doesn’t want the ground to be too quick.
“They’re calling it good to soft as far as I know but they’ve had no rain to speak of for about a month. She wouldn’t want it jarry. But I don’t think the Curragh will be much softer either.
“Anytime you win a big race is a significant moment. But once she runs her race, she’s either good enough or she isn’t,” he added.
An entry of 22 remain in the colts’ Classic at Longchamp and bookmakers reckon the one to beat is Godolphin’s Breeders’ Cup winner Modern Games.
Another proven top-flight winner in the mix is Angel Bleu, twice a Group One winner in France as a two-year-old and who chased home Perfect Power in the Greenham in his only start so far this season.
The Acropolis was beaten half a length by Dr Zempf in the Leopardstown Guineas Trial over a month ago.
A total of 13 horses are left in Sunday’s Group Three Lacken Stakes at Naas, a race won last year by the subsequent Abbaye and Al Quoz hero A Case Of You.
Some notably fast three-year-olds are among them, including the Cornwallis winner Twilight Jet as well as New York City who could renew rivalry with Straight Answer from Navan last month.
The latter's trainer Ger Lyons has also left in his unbeaten colt Beauty Inspire. He landed the Anglesey Stakes last summer on his second start but has been out of action since.
In other news William Haggas has said Baaeed is up with the best he has ever trained ahead of the colt's eagerly anticipated return to action in Saturday's Lockinge at Newbury.
“It’s very hard to compare him to mine I’ve had in the past. I think Shaamit must have been pretty good to win the Derby as we were pretty clueless back then – probably still are – yet he managed to win the Derby first time out which is quite a difficult thing to do.
“Sea Of Class had a great turn of foot and stayed very well. This horse [Baaeed] is right up there but he has a bit more to do yet,” the Newmarket trainer said.
