Stay Alert’s connections appeal against Pretty Polly Stakes result

The outcome of Saturday’s Yulong Pretty Polly Stakes won’t be definitive for some time yet due to an appeal lodged against the result by connections of the runner-up Stay Alert.

To add to fallout from the Curragh’s Group One contest, Jamie Spencer, who rode the winner Via Sistina, has appealed the severity of the six-day careless riding ban he picked up in the race.

Via Sistina’s drift right in the closing stages provoked a chain reaction of events that included Stay Alert getting a bump when coming with her challenge.

Via Sistina, the 6-4 favourite, eventually went on to beat Stay Alert by two lengths. The latter, a 25-1 shot, finished a length and a quarter in front of Above The Curve in third.

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However, Stay Alert’s trainer Hughie Morrison felt the incident was crucial to the result.

“As he [Spencer] pulled that horse out, it was hanging right. He then continued to ride it for possibly a furlong, and he didn’t make any correction until he’d seriously endangered two horses and two jockeys.

“If they can tell me they didn’t feel endangered, then end of story. It was hanging all the way and should have been corrected at least 100 metres before the incidents took place.

“When you get stopped in your run when you are quickening up and you have 100 yards to make up three lengths, you are lucky to make up one.

“Any other sport and you’d be thrown out, more so because the fourth horse [Rosscarbery] was prevented from coming third, which was quite significant when you are talking about a Group One,” he said on Tuesday.

An Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board spokesman said no date for either appeal has yet been set.

There is no firm date either for when Stay Alert might run next after a career-best performance at the Curragh where she wore a tongue strap for the first time.

“It helped her, made her concentrate, and did everything we expected it to do. I don’t think she has a wind issue, it just helped her concentrate on the job,” Morrison commented.

“She showed how good she is. She is in the Yorkshire Oaks and there are a couple of races in France. Those are in the middle of August – there is nothing else for her.

“She could go for a colts’ race somewhere, that might be tempting, but you never know what the ground will be like in Germany, and you’d like to win a big race before you go to France.

“This was the target for her all year, so it was frustrating. We got everything right but hit the crossbar. We’d like to win a good one and we’d like a clean fight as well,” he added.

In other news, a return to the Curragh next month could be in line for Commanche Falls who landed Sunday’s Listed Dash at HQ.

The Michael Dods-trained star, winner of the Stewards’ Cup for the last two years, is among the ante-post market leaders for the big Goodwood handicap, but might be on his way back to Ireland instead.

“He’s won the Stewards’ Cup twice and he’s in it again, but he’s now rated 112 so he’d have a lot of weight this year,” said Dods.

“When we saw him off the bridle on Sunday we knew he’d finish strong and he did, he grinds it out rather than quickens.

“He might have an entry in the Hackwood [at Newbury], but there’s the Group Three Rathasker Stud Phoenix Stakes race in early August at the Curragh I think he’ll end up going for,” he added.