Jack Naylor is making a habit of beating the odds and her trainer Jessica Harrington hopes it is a habit the star filly can continue when she lines up in Sunday week's Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp.
The Group One highlight, French racing’s most coveted prize for juvenile fillies, has been the target for Jack Naylor ever since she successfully conceded weight in the Flame Of Tara Stakes at the Curragh earlier this month and Harrington has confirmed the daughter of Champs Elysees as being bang on track for a trip to Paris.
“She will have to step up again. She is taking on the best around but hopefully she will step up,” the Co Kildare-based trainer said. “I’ve been delighted with her since her last race at the Curragh.”
Prior to that Listed success at HQ, Jack Naylor landed the Group Three Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown, defying 14 to 1 odds to beat the subsequent May Hill winner Agnes Stewart while Raydara, the subsequent Debutante victor, was fourth in that race.
The Boussac is also an option for Agnes Stewart while the Longchamp feature hasn't been ruled out by English trainer Roger Varian for his Moyglare Stud Stakes winner, Cursory Glance.
“We haven’t made our mind up yet what we’ll do. She came out of the Moyglare so well we have the option of running her again if we want,” he said.
Jack Naylor is already as low as 14 to 1 in some betting lists for next year’s Newmarket 1,000 Guineas but she isn’t Harrington’s only smart juvenile with the Dundalk winner Lola Beaux among the possible starters in this Sunday’s CL Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh.
Early test
Irish juvenile filly form will get an early test tomorrow in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket when the Moyglare runner up Lucida is due to appear next. Jim Bolger’s filly has been installed a 13 to 8 favourite by Paddy Power.
Ger Lyons is targeting Sunday's Beresford Stakes with Convergence and that horse could be joined by his stable companion Bertie Le Belge, who was a staying-on fourth to the Derby favourite John F Kennedy on his last start at Leopardstown over Champions Weekend.
