Profound Beauty

Profound Beauty put up another smart performance to land the Listed mile-and-six-furlong contest at Leopardstown on Thursday evening. Held up in fifth of the six runners through the early stages of the race behind a decent pace set by second favourite Alandi’s stable companion Aliyfa, she made nice progress on the outside from the top of the home straight, taking it up off the pacemaker inside the final furlong and staying on really well to hold off the challenge of the Ballydoyle colt Yankee Doodle.

This was the second time in three weeks that the three main protagonists in this contest met. When they last met in the Curragh Cup at The Curragh on Derby weekend, Profound Beauty also came out on top. However, Alandi looked unlucky that day. The John Oxx colt was coming with what looked like a challenge that might have taken him to the front when Yankee Doodle rolled across in front of him, causing Mick Kinane to have to snatch up and start again, before running on again and failing by just a neck to catch Profound Beauty. There was a feeling around at the start of the day that Alandi would exact his revenge. However, Profound Beauty was expected to come on a fair bit for that run, her seasonal debut, her first race since she had finished fifth in the Melbourne Cup last November and, with the ground given as yielding, no softer, most of the money before the race was for the Dermot Weld filly. As is so often that case, the money was right on the mark.

It is interesting that Weld thinks enough of the Moyglare Stud mare to enter her in the Yorkshire Oaks. That would be a huge step up class. The only time she has competed at a higher level than Group 3 standard, with the exception of the Group 1 handicap, the Melbourne Cup, was when she finished fifth behind Peeping Fawn in the Irish Oaks two years ago on unsuitably soft ground. That said, there is little doubt that she is a fair bit better than Group 3 standard, and she could easily be up to winning a Group 1 contest, especially against her own sex. However, York is an easy track and, given how well she stays a mile and six, you just feel that a mile and a half there on fast ground may not represent a sufficient stamina test for her. She is also in the Irish St Leger, however, and she would be a really interesting contender for that race if the ground didn’t come up too soft.

16th July 2009