Thundering On primed for crack at elders in Pretty Polly Saturday’s Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh has proved too good an opportunity to pass up for Joseph O’Brien’s runaway Oaks heroine Thundering On. The Frankel filly secured a brilliant victory at Epsom three weeks ago and while a bid for a Classic double in next month’s Irish Oaks remains very much on her agenda, she will first drop back in trip for a Group One clash against her elders on Irish Derby weekend. Thundering On will not only encounter a shorter distance but almost certainly quicker ground than she did on the Surrey Downs, although O’Brien does not expect either factor be an issue. Reflecting on her Epsom success, the trainer said: “I suppose the most impressive part was what she did from the half-furlong marker to the line. It’s easy to travel through a race well, but first of all the move she made from the three to the two-furlong marker was very smooth and then when Dylan (Browne McMonagle) did ask her she pulled away, which I thought was impressive. “You never know about the trip until you try it and Epsom is a stiff test – people underestimate how stiff it is. We just rode her patiently and she obviously got the trip well. “You don’t ever expect them to travel into the Oaks like that, that doesn’t happen every often. I do think she got a good set-up and it was a small field, so there were reasons why, but at the same time she was impressive.” After Thundering On’s Pretty Polly and Irish Oaks outings, she looks likely to be given a deserved mid-season break. O’Brien added: “I think after the Irish Oaks she’ll have a little freshen up. I guess the other option is the Nassau or something like that. It’s to be discussed, but I’d imagine she’ll have a little freshen up after the Irish Oaks and we’ll plot through the autumn.” Thundering On’s biggest danger appears to be David O’Meara’s British raider Estrange. Although the Cheveley Park Stud-owned grey has yet to win at the highest level, she was second in the Yorkshire Oaks and on Champions Day at Ascot last season and looked as good as ever when making a winning reappearance in the rescheduled Lester Piggott Stakes at Carlisle. Last season she followed up victory in that Group Three with a Group Two at Haydock in the Lancashire Oaks – but with that race moved to Newmarket due to ongoing ground problems on Merseyside, connections view this weekend’s race as a more appropriate target. “She came out of the Carlisle race really well and we were delighted with her performance,” said Cheveley Park’s managing director Chris Richardson. “I know that the ground is drying up, but the Curragh had plenty of rain last week and there is a bit of rain forecast so I think it will be good safe ground over a mile and a quarter. “The switch from Haydock to Newmarket for the Lancashire Oaks is a slight concern on the ground, potentially. “Obviously we prefer more cut in the ground, but I think if the weather continues as it is then we should probably take our chance this weekend, rather than wait another week or longer.” Estrange is joined on the trip across the Irish Sea by 1000 Guineas third Venetian Lace, whose trainer Charlie Johnston is hoping for a quick surface after his filly struggled on the rain-softened ground in the Oaks. Other contenders include Paddy Twomey’s One Look, the Ger Lyons-trained Red Letter and Aidan O’Brien’s sole representative Beautify.
