Irridescence Glowing Ahead Of UAE Hydra Properties Falmouth Stakes

Star South African mare Irridescence remains firmly on target for the #200,000 Group One UAE Hyrda Properties Falmouth Stakes, the highlight on day one of the Ritz Club July Festival at Newmarket on Wednesday, July 11, after pleasing connections in a racecourse gallop this morning (Wednesday, July 4).

The Mike de Kock-trained six-year-old, who had the great Ouija Board in third when winning the Group One Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth Cup over 10 furlongs at Sha Tin, Hong Kong in April, 2006, worked on Newmarket's July Course in company with stablemate Asiatic Boy.

Assistant trainer Trevor Brown is overseeing preparations at Geoff Wragg's Newmarket yard - where the South Africans are boarding - prior to de Kock's arrival on Monday.

Brown revealed today: 'I was very happy with Irridescence's gallop. The course was wet so I wouldn't say she put up a great time but considering how wet the course was, I think you can forgive her for that. I wouldn't be worried at all if the ground was soft on the day of the race. In fact, I'm not worried at all about the ground.'

Irridescence is a proven top-flight performer from nine to 13 furlongs but has also tasted victory over a mile in an open handicap at Newmarket racecourse, South Africa, in November, 2004.

The daughter of Caesour had two starts for trainer John Hammond in France last term before returning to de Kock, one of which was a fifth-place finish to Librettist over a mile in the Group One Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

Brown reported: 'She's going the right way. The mile may be a little bit short of her best as she's more of a 10-furlong filly. She hasn't run for three months so she might just be in need of the run but having said all that, she'll be right there. I'm very happy with her progress. She's done well since arriving in England. Everything has been top class besides the weather!

'She's very versatile and the nice thing about her is that she's got enough pace. Since the race in Hong Kong, she's been going to the front every time and prior to that she'd never gone to the front. That being the case, I'm not too worried about her not having the pace over a mile, although saying that, it is shorter than her optimum.'

The South African challenger can expect stiff competition in the prestigious contest with no fewer than eight individual Group One winners entered, including the winners of the English, Irish and French 1000 Guineas (Finsceal Beo and Darjina) and Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes heroine Red Evie.

The de Kock-trained Drayton is also on course for his tilt at Ritz Club July Festival Group One glory in the #375,000 Darley July Cup over six furlongs on Friday, July 13.

The Danetime three-year-old heads to Europe's richest sprint after a pleasing fifth-place finish to Soldier's Tale in the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 23. That effort followed a below-par run when he didn't seem to stay a mile in the Stan James 2000 Guineas on Newmarket's NatWest Rowley Mile in May.

Brown continued: 'Drayton is on course for the July Cup and I'm very happy with him. He's come out of Royal Ascot very well and I'd actually say he's better for it. Hopefully, we've found another three lengths and he was only beaten just over three lengths. It was a cracking run.

'You can put a line through the Guineas run. Everything was against him. He jumped, pulled too hard and it wasn't there. I don't think he gets a mile anyway.'

Brown, who is unconcerned about the recent wet weather, continued: 'It poured down just before Drayton's race at Ascot and he won in the mud in Ireland so that doesn't bother him at all. I don't think he's the type of horse who'd be bothered if the ground was riding on the top either. He's a pretty straightforward, sound, hard-knocking horse.'

The Ritz Club July Festival takes place at Newmarket's July Course from Wednesday, July 11 to Friday, July 13, with each of the three days offering a feast of fantastic racing.