Prendergast hoping for big show from Collina Kevin Prendergast feels La Collina may be the forgotten horse in Sunday's Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. A daughter of Strategic Prince, she had some top-class form as a juvenile last season, including beating Aidan O'Brien's 2000 Guineas hopeful Power in the Group One Phoenix Stakes. Not many fillies beat the colts at the stage of their careers and Prendergast hoped she would follow up back against her own sex in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, but she could only manage a well-beaten third behind 1000 Guineas favourite Maybe. Given there had been little between them when the pair met in the Silver Flash Stakes in July it is easy to forgive La Collina, especially as Prendergast feels she has a valid excuse for her last run. "She's a runner this weekend and I think she'll run well, I suppose she has gone under the radar a bit," said the County Kildare veteran. "I wouldn't want it soft though, she's much better on good ground. "I've seen the forecast and they should have had most of the rain they are getting so I'd hope it will be good ground by the weekend, that's what they are saying as it drains so well." Ger Lyons hopes the ground at Newmarket doesn't get too soft for Lightening Pearl. The daughter of Marju, owned by Pearl Bloodstock, signed off her juvenile career with a Group One success in the Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs of the Rowley Mile. "If the meeting starts on good ground it won't be a problem. I just wouldn't want any extremes," said the County Meath trainer. "At the minute unless something drastic happens she's travelling on Friday. We'll do what we normally do which is to walk the course and if we're not happy with the ground we'll pull up stumps and come home. If we're happy we'll run. "We said last September she's going for the Guineas and we've stuck to the plan. She was never going to be a big filly. She's the same weight, she seems in good order. "She's had a couple of racecourse gallops, so there won't be any excuses fitness-wise. Obviously we'll know on Sunday whether she gets the trip or not. If the ground turned up on the very soft or heavy side I doubt we'd take our chance."
