It may have taken until a year ago for Ali Saeed’s Ambivalent to
reach her full potential, but she is the real article now that she is back at The Curragh to defend her
crown in Sunday’s Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes. Since her surprise
win in this last year, the five-year-old has maintained a largely consistent profile and
seems to have improved again in 2014. In between third placings behind
Gentildonna and Cirrus des Aigles, respectively, in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan March
29 and the Coronation Cup at Epsom June 7, she annexed York’s
Middleton Stakes May 15.
“Ambivalent is in great form,” trainer Roger Varian
commented. “She takes her racing well and is an improved filly this
year. The track suits her and I think she goes there with a very good
chance.”
Having accounted for a Ballydoyle Classic winner in the
last renewal, Ambivalent has to cope with another this time in the May 25
Irish One Thousand Guineas scorer Marvellous, who gets an overly generous
12-pound concession due to the antiquated weight-for-age ruling. Blinkered for
the first time following a subsequent sixth in the Epsom Oaks June 6, Michael
Tabor’s charge needs more rain to be at her best.
Lady Rothschild’s Thistle Bird bids for an elusive Group 1, here having
enjoyed the perfect warm-up when winning the Princess Elizabeth at Epsom June 6.
Already second in the Nassau at Goodwood in August and third in the Prix
de l’Opera at Longchamp on Arc day, the six-year-old needs a sliver of luck to break through.
“At
Epsom, she produced her form of the year before,” trainer Roger Charlton said. “I was quite
pleased The Fugue ran at Royal Ascot and Dank was in the same race. That’s two out of the way,
but there will be a few others. She needs to improve to win a Group 1, but we are there
with a chance.”
Alongside Marvellous, Venus de Milo and Peace Burg also represent Aidan O’Brien and the
former, who was second in the Irish Oaks here last July, was back to her best with a win in the
Munster Oaks over 12 furlongs at Cork last time June 15.
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