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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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1,000 Guineas preview
Jack Naylor, far side
© Photo Healy Racing
While Jessica Harrington is better known as the trainer of the likes of former champion hurdler Jezki and legendary chaser Moscow Flyer, she is no stranger to saddling big winners on the level and has two fine chances in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
In Jack Naylor and Bocca Baciata Harrington must surely not have had a better chance of landing her first Group One on the Flat since Pathfork won the National Stakes five years ago.
Jack Naylor achieved far more at two, beating subsequent Newmarket Guineas winner Legatissimo on her final start, but she will be having her first outing for 231 days.
Bocca Baciata was slower to come to hand, but was not beaten far by tomorrow's favourite, Found on her debut in August and looked very good in beating Jim Bolger's Pleascach subsequently a Group Three winner and whom she meets again, in the Salsabil Stakes on her return.
Alan Cooper, racing manager to Bocca Baciata's owners, Flaxman Stables, said: "The filly is very well and her form lines look very good.
"She won on yielding ground on her first run of the year and I think that suits her very well, but I don't think better ground would be a problem, either.
"She's coming back to a mile, which shouldn't be a problem. We'll see what happens."
As well as Found, Aidan O'Brien runs Kissed By Angels who was an impressive winner of a trial two weeks ago where she beat Willie McCreery's Devonshire but her connections want another crack at the winner.
She was supplemented by Godolphin on Monday.
"I'm very happy with her, she has been working well and I believe running her in the Irish 1,000 Guineas is the right thing to do," McCreery said.
Michael O'Callaghan is in search of the biggest win of his career with Military Angel who has only had two runs.
"She's very well. She's going in as an underdog but deserves to take her chance. She's only had the two runs and is a winner and a black-type filly already," said O'Callaghan.
"She was entitled to get tired on her first run and did get tired but still finished third.
"The mile on better ground will suit her more and we're hoping for a big run."
Mick Channon 's Malabar fourth in the Guineas at Newmarket, leads the British raiders, while James Given runs both Pastoral Girl and Russian Punch