McCreery books French date for Insinuendo Insinuendo will head to the French capital for the Prix de l’Opera on Arc weekend as Willie McCreery searches for the elusive piece of Group One black type for his consistent five-year-old. The three-time winner is yet to find the scoresheet this term, but has run some fine races in defeat, beaten only a neck in her last two outings. Runner-up to Mother Earth back in March, she has excelled since returning from a 140-day break, firstly giving subsequent Irish Champions Stakes winner Luxembourg a fright in the Royal Whip Stakes, before narrowly missing out when taking on Prix Saint-Alary winner Above The Curve in the Blandford Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday. McCreery feels the daughter of Gleneagles was slightly unlucky in that most recent appearance, but is looking forward to testing her in Group One company for only the third time on October 2, when she sticks to the 10-furlong trip some of her best performances have come at. “She was a little bit unlucky in running I thought the other day,” said McCreery. “She probably got held in a little bit in running, but the other filly quickened well beside her and she’s ran another good, solid race. “She’s been beaten by two Classic performers earlier in the year and another Group One filly on Sunday. It is very important we now get a Group One place from her and then we will go from there. “We will go for the Prix de l’Opéra next. It’s usually soft if anything or good ground, it’s never too firm, and that will suit her.”
