By Tom Frary
Continuing her upward trajectory on Thursday, Haras de Saint Pair's Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) defied a three-pound penalty for her July 11 G3 Brownstown S. success in style in Tipperary's G3 Coolmore Stud No Nay Never Fairy Bridge S. Always travelling strongly racing behind the pace, the 5-2 second favourite was angled off the fence by Billy Lee straightening for home and after delivering her potent turn of acceleration recorded a comprehensive 1 3/4-length defeat of Roca Roma (Ire) (Australia {GB}). “She was in great form when she won the Brownstown and I said we'd go straight for the Matron,” trainer Paddy Twomey said. “She was in great form at home and I felt it would be unwise to bypass this one on our doorstep. I thought if she could do what she did there then we could have a crack at a group 1. I felt it might be a bit fanciful if we hadn't done something like that. She's earned her shot wherever it might be.”
Runner-up to Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) when this was staged at Gowran Park in September, Pearls Galore had finished fifth in the Listed Cooley Fillies & Mares S. at a mile on Dundalk's Polytrack in November before returning to be third in the G3 Ballycorus S. over seven at Leopardstown June 10. Building on her Brownstown success at Fairyhouse, the diminutive granddaughter of Haras de Saint Pair's foundation mare Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio {GB}) looked every bit ready to attempt to emulate Champers Elysees in the highest category. Twomey revealed that she has three top-level alternatives. “The [Sept. 11] Matron [at Leopardstown], the [Oct. 3 Prix de la] Foret [at ParisLongchamp] and the First Lady in Keeneland on the 8th of October are all options and Keeneland would suit her. It's a quick, tight mile but we'll leave the dust settle and come up with a plan. She's bred by Andreas Putsch who races her and raced all her family. I think we're obliged to go for a group 1 now. She won't run next year, so I'd say another run and that will be it.”
Pearls Galore's dam is the German group 3 winner Pearl Banks (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), whose prior black-type performers are Lucky Lycra (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), who scored at the same level in the same country, and the Listed Prix des Lilas winner Pearly Steph (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The aforementioned second dam, the G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Pearly Shells, was also responsible for the Listed Prix Panacee winner Pearls Or Passion (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) who is in turn the dam of the G3 Prix de Royaumont scorer Pelligrina (Ire) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) and the listed-placed Podemos (Ger) (Shamardal). Pearl Banks is also a half-sister to two other black-type performers including this year's G2 Prix Greffulhe runner-up Smile Makers (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) and to Propaganda (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who in turn produced the G3 May Hill S. third Shagah (Ire) from a mating with Pearls Galore's sire Invincible Spirit. Pearl Banks has an as-yet unnamed 2-year-old filly by Dark Angel (Ire) and a yearling colt by Shalaa (Ire).
Thursday, Tipperary, Ireland
COOLMORE STUD NO NAY NEVER FAIRY BRIDGE S.-G3, €55,000, Tipperary, 8-26, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f 110yT, 1:36.61, g/y.
1–PEARLS GALORE (FR), 136, f, 4, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
1st Dam: Pearl Banks (GB) (GSW-Ger, SW-Fr, $127,537), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Pearly Shells (GB), by Efisio (GB)
3rd Dam: Piffle (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
O/B-SCEA Haras de Saint Pair (FR); T-Paddy Twomey; J-Billy Lee. €33,000. Lifetime Record: 9-4-1-1, $125,089. *1/2 to Lucky Lycra (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), GSW-Ger, SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Roca Roma (Ire), 133, f, 4, Australia (GB)–Lucy Diamonds (Ire), by Orpen. (75,000gns RNA Wlg '17 TATFOA). O-Roca Partnership; B-Tommy Murphy (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €11,000.
3–Loch Lein (Ire), 128, f, 3, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Ashley Hall, by Maria's Mon. (350,000gns RNA Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Joan Brosnan; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €5,500.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, HF. Odds: 2.50, 7.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Rocket Science (Ire), Surrounding (Ire), Sziget (Ire), Let's (Ire), Pretty Gorgeous (Fr), Miramis (Ire), Thinking of You, Friendly (Ire), Pale Iris (Ire), Elizabethan, Sweet Gardenia (GB), Parent's Prayer (Ire). Scratched: Acquiescent (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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