By Tom Frary
Emulating stablemate Matrika (Ire) 12 months ago, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Truly Enchanting (Ire) (No Nay Never–Alluringly, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) made the quick turnaround from Royal Ascot to to provide her sire with back-to-back winners of The Curragh's G2 Airlie Stud Stakes on Saturday. Unable to mix it with the fastest fillies when 13th in the five-furlong G2 Queen Mary Stakes, the descendant of Urban Sea (Miswaki) had the required pace to lay up with fellow Ascot also-ran California Dreamer (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}) from the outset in this longer test on rain-softened ground.
Despite hanging towards that G3 Albany Stakes fifth at the business end, Ryan Moore's pick of the stable's trio finally got the better of the Amo Racing runner in the final 100 yards to score by half a length. Another of the Aidan O'Brien fillies, January (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), was 2 1/4 lengths back in third in a race where the closers failed to make an impact.
“We thought she would handle any ease in the ground and conditions suited her, but she was very green,” O'Brien said. “She took the race in Ascot very well, where she was just a bit green and babyish. It was kind of a last-minute decision to go five with her because she had won at Tipperary and we said we'd chance it, but she found it a big change on the fast ground and it was a mistake.”
“She's tough and hardy, but Ryan said he wasn't near to the end of her and there was plenty in there. He said to change the bit next time, as she was hanging right. Her bit is as soft as you can go, but she's probably taking advantage of it. No Nay Nevers handle soft ground and are tough, but he is a big influence for speed–she might get seven this year, but it wouldn't be a surprise if next year she gets faster. Wayne's filly [January] ran a stormer and when she steps up to seven, she'll be lovely.”
An exciting finish to the Airlie Stud Stakes!
Truly Enchanting gets the better of California Dreamer to land Group 2 honours for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore 🏆 pic.twitter.com/QTqjZpyCFd
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) June 29, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Arguably the best-bred filly at The Curragh on Saturday, Truly Enchanting is the third foal and second runner out of the listed-winning and Oaks-placed dam Alluringly whose first was the stable's G2 Kilboy Estate Stakes winner Lily Pond (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Alluringly is a granddaughter of the G3 Middleton Stakes winner All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), a daughter of Urban Sea who was second in the Oaks before making her own mark as a broodmare.
Among All Too Beautiful's progeny was the Listed Cheshire Oaks winner Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo), who emulated her dam's runner-up placing in the Oaks before producing the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas third So Wonderful (War Front), while she is also the second dam of the G1 Cox Plate and G1 Tancred Stakes hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) among others. Alluringly's yearling is a full-sister to Truly Enchanting.
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
AIRLIE STUD STAKES-G2, €120,000, Curragh, 6-29, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.40, gd.
1–TRULY ENCHANTING (IRE), 128, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Alluringly (SW-Ire, G1SP-Eng, $154,308), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: All For Glory, by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: All Too Beautiful (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. TDN Rising Star. O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €72,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $84,830. *1/2 to Lily Pond (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW-Ire, $123,258. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–California Dreamer (GB), 128, f, 2, Mehmas (Ire)–Penelopa (GB), by Giant's Causeway. (130,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Amo Racing Ltd & Giselle De Aguiar; B-Ickworth Stud (GB); T-Adrian Murray. €24,000.
3–January (Ire), 128, f, 2, Kingman (GB)–I Can Fly (GB), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €12,000.
Margins: HF, 2 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 2.00, 8.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Barnavara (Ire), Grande Marques (Ire), Varner (Ire), Cradle Of Love (Ire), Easy Mover (Ire), American Bar (Ire). Scratched: Fiery Lucy (GB).
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