Millisle (Shane Foley) winning the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket© Photo Healy Racing
Jessica Harrington reports Millisle in good form ahead of tomorrow’s Qipco 1000 Guineas and is hopeful she will get the trip when stepping up to a mile at Newmarket.
The Stonethorn Stud Farm’s home-bred filly won twice over the minimum trip at Bellewstown and the Curragh as a juvenile before causing a 16/1 surprise on her final start last year when landing the Group 1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket.
“She’s done all her work and I’m very happy with her preparation. She seems to be in good form and the great thing about her is she’s been to England already twice last year as a two-year-old and she more or less took it in her stride each time she went,” said Mrs Harrington on Paddy Power’s podcast From The Horse’s Mouth.
The Moone trainer continued, “She’s a very good traveller and the only time she got a bit upset was in Salisbury when they took blood off her just before the race. But even that she still ran a good race there, but she was eating better when she went to Newmarket.”
Millisle will be without regular partner Shane Foley due to COVID-19 quarantine restrictions and will be ridden at Newmarket by champion jockey Oisin Murphy. “We were lucky enough to get Oisin. He’s never sat on her but look, she’s very straightforward and hopefully he’ll get on great with her.”
Stamina concerns remain about the daughter of sprinter Starspangledbanner but she is more stoutly bred on the dam side and Mrs Harrington is encouraged by her strong finish in the Cheveley Park.
“When she won the Cheveley Park, she wasn’t going to win anything when they got into the dip and when she hit the rising ground, she stayed on very well and ran right through the line to the extent that Shane had difficulty pulling her up.
“I trained her half-sister and she won over I think a mile and a half and she was placed in a Listed race over a mile and six. So I think there’s plenty of stamina in the pedigree, and she’s also a filly that will relax. I know she won over five furlongs twice last year before stepping up to six but in Newmarket they went so quick she actually relaxed and she’ll be dropped in behind I’d say a little bit and just get her relaxed to come home.”
