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7 Oct 2017

Aidan O’Brien raises bar higher with Roly Poly

Roly Poly and Ryan Moore are too strong for their rivals in the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Aidan O’Brien chalked up a record eleventh success in this year’s QIPCO Champion Series with the victory of Roly Poly in the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.

O’Brien achived ten wins in the Series last year but has now raised the bar higher again, with QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on October 21 still to come.

Roly Poly’s win also gave the trainer a 23rd Group One success this year – just two short of the late Bobby Frankel’s world record achieved in 2003.

Roly Poly put up a typically gutsy performance – responding generously to Ryan Moore’s urgings.

Moore had Roly Poly (4-1) smartly out of the stalls and despite being unable to grab the far rail which Dawn Of Hope occupied, was always in a good position.

Dawn Of Hope led briefly, but Roly Poly rallied and went ahead again and was able to hold off Persuasive (9-4 favourite) by a length. Nathra was a length and a quarter away in third, giving Jimmy Fortune a fine spin on his last ride before retirement.

O’Brien said: “She’s a great filly, with a great heart. She’s tactical and tough, amazing really. She’s incredibly bred, out of a very good Galileo mare and by War Front, and the lads do a great job with her at home.”

She is now likely to head to next month’s Breeders’ Cup.

John Gosden said of Persuasive and Nathra: “They both ran superbly well. The winner on this ground was too good for us.

“With a bit more juice in the ground, both of our fillies would have troubled the winner. They have run second and third and I could not be more thrilled with them. They have run true and honest right to the end of the season.

“I think that will probably be it for both of them and the breeding sheds beckon.”

Fortune said: “It is a bit emotional, really. She is a very tough filly and could have done with a bit of juice in the ground, but she would have probably only been second, to be honest.”