Lillie Langtry

Lillie Langtry ran a cracker to finish a close-up fifth in the Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh on Sunday. Taken back and settled towards the rear of the field in the early stages by Johnny Murtagh, she was still travelling well passing the two-furlong pole as just about every other filly in the race had come under pressure, but she was short of racing room. Pulled out to the outside of Music Show passing the furlong pole, she picked up nicely once in the clear and ran on best of all. Although her finishing surge took her only into fifth place, she finished within three parts of a length of the winner Bethrah and, if she had had another 50 yards, she may well have got up.

Lillie Langtry was a top class juvenile last season, winning the Group 2 Debutante Stakes, and finishing third in the Moyglare on desperate ground before she went to Newmarket and won a valuable sales race for fillies. You can easily ignore her final run of the season in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf at Santa Anita, as she injured herself in that race. This was her first run since, and she was weak enough in the market beforehand to suggest that she would come on appreciably for it. Her pedigree suggests that a mile is her optimum trip, and on this evidence she gets the trip well. She should have no difficulty getting the round mile at Ascot, and she would be of interest if she took her chance in the Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting. That is also a probable target for the winner on Sunday, the Dermot Weld-trained Bethrah, and for the Newmarket Guineas winner and runner-up, Special Duty and Jacqueline Quest, as well as a number of others, including the favourite for Sunday’s race who finished third, Music Show. It could be a cracking contest, and Lillie Langtry should be available at decent odds if they all do line up.

23rd May 2010

© The Irish Field, 29th May 2010