'Let the best horse jump the ditch' - Whirl wins a thriller Whirl (13/8) kept the wheel turning for trainer Aidan O’Brien, jockey Ryan Moore, owners Coolmore and stallion Wootton Bassett at the Curragh today, landing an exciting renewal of the featured Group 1 Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes. Previously runner-up to stablemate Minnie Hauk when headed in the closing stages of the English Oaks on June 6, Whirl faced stiff opposition in today’s seven-runner race, which included 118-rated four-year-old filly Kalpana (5/6f). Making the running, Moore’s stamina-proven mount was joined by Kalpana two furlongs out and while Whirl was narrowly headed at the furlong pole, rallied to re-take the lead and scored from the UK-runner, with French-trained Survie finishing third. O’Brien reported “Ryan gave Whirl a brilliant ride and got the fractions absolutely spot on, which is a difficult thing when you are running a mile-and-a-half filly back at 1m2f. “There was no point turning it into a sprint so Ryan set her alight coming out of the gates and got the favourite (Kalpana, under Colin Keane) to challenge. The two of them - with two great jockeys, got together and as they say ‘let the best horse jump the ditch’ after that! “Ryan and Colin knew they were each other’s dangers and they weren’t going to give each other an inch, which they couldn’t afford to. They got into a battle turning in and battling all the way up the straight like that at the Curragh takes some courage and they kept going together. “Ryan said he felt 50 yards from the line that she had a look at the camera and he knew he had her then. Those kind of races are few and far between. What can I say about Ryan, day-in-day out he’s incredible. “Whirl is an incredible filly, she has just progressed and loves getting into a fight. Obviously we saw that she stays 1m4f at Epsom and she’s absolutely concrete. You are trying to spread the stamina out without stretched the elastic too long, so Ryan got it spot on. “I’m delighted for the lads (Coolmore), she’s 100 percent homebred and by Wootton Bassett." O’Brien, earlier successful with Wootton Bassett-sired Dorset and Beautify, added “Whirl can go anywhere now: she can come back her for the Oaks and can go to the Nassau. “She’s an unusual filly. She’s tough and she’s not even blowing there, her nostrils weren’t even flaring. She’s obviously a very high class filly and it’s very exciting.” Bookmakers later cut Whirl to 10/1 for October’s Prix de l’Arc. Quotes from Gary Carson
