Young Guns Concern Speciosa Team

Pam Sly admits Speciosa faces an uphill battle against her younger rivals in Saturday´s Audi Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

The four-year-old has not visited the winner´s enclosure since her famous victory in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last May.

However, she put up a fine performance when second behind subsequent Ascot winner Manduro on her seasonal bow and can be excused for her disappointing effort in the Lockinge last time.

Speciosa will have to shoulder 9st 9lb in the Irish Group One contest ? 12lb more than leading fancies Peeping Fawn and West Wind.

'I´m hoping to get a place. Peeping Fawn was second in the Oaks and then you have West Wind, winner of the French Oaks, and we have to give those two 12lb which is quite a lot of weight,' said Sly.

'It was a jolly good run behind Manduro at Newmarket and it was just unfortunate in the Lockinge that she came into season and that was it.

'I did tell everyone that she had come into season and she was heavily in season that day and it just didn´t work out at all ? she just didn´t run.'

Speciosa finished fourth in the Oaks last year when failing to see out the mile-and-a-half trip but following her second in the nine-furlong Earl of Sefton Stakes, Sly has every hope of her getting the mile and a quarter on Saturday.

'She´s better off with just a bit of ease in the ground. We thought when she ran in the Sefton she was starting to stay on at the finish,' the Peterborough handler told At The Races.

(C) PA Sport