War Front's Roly Poly Dominates the Falmouth

    TDN Rising Star Roly Poly (War Front) had played the bridesmaid's role to stablemates in last term's G1 Cheveley Park S. and this year's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S., and at last gained a deserved top-level triumph with a dominant frontrunning performance in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket. Quickest away to seize an immediate lead racing along the stands' side fence in the now-familiar cheekpieces, the crowd's 6-4 favourite was nudged along when strongly pressed approaching the final quarter mile and, with Ryan Moore's whip not being required until halfway up the climb, kept on relentlessly to claim a career high in decisive fashion. She had 1 1/4 lengths to spare over Wuheida (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at the line with Arabian Hope (Distorted Humor) a further half-length adrift in third. “Her last two runs were very good runs behind Winter and it went very well today,” commented winning rider Ryan Moore. “She improved right through the spring and deserved to win a Group 1. She was just touched off in the Cheveley Park last year and is just a very tough and very honest filly.”

   Roly Poly made the grade in The Curragh's G3 Grangecon Stud (Balanchine) S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. on this card last year, and was runner-up in York's G2 Lowther S. and the G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket's Rowley Mile track. Subsequently off the board in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, G3 Nell Gwyn S. and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, she regained her foothold with seconds behind stablemate Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the May 28 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and the June 23 G1 Coronation S. last time, and stepped forward to join the top rank here. “It means a lot and, if it didn't, I guess I wouldn't be here,” said part-owner Michael Tabor. “I love to see the horses win, it's as simple as that, and long may it continue. Roly Poly is pretty small, she loves this ground and she's trained on to be a very good 3-year-old.”

   Appleby was understandably thrilled with runner-up Wuheida, who was making her first start since annexing last October's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, and said, “She travelled well throughout and just got tired, which is what I expected to be honest, but I'm delighted. Her class has taken her to where she is today and I'd be pretty confident she's going to take a good leap forward. As regards trip, William [Buick] felt she may even have got a bit quicker since last year. I was thinking after this we might be looking to go up to 10 furlongs, but we might stick to around a mile. We'll let the dust settle, see how she is tomorrow morning and make a plan from there.”

   Roly Poly is one of three stakes performers, from just three foals to race, out of multiple highweight Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who registered tallies in the G1 Moyglare Stud S., G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Pretty Polly S., and she is a half-sister GIII Autumn Miss S. victress Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). From Roly Poly's covering to date, it has been the War Front show and her other siblings are U S Navy Flag, who ran second in Thursday's G2 July S., a yearling filly and a colt foal. Misty For Me, herself a full-sister to G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Ballydoyle (Ire) and MGSP Listed Hurry Harriet S. victress Twirl (Ire), visited War Front once again this year. She is from a family which includes MG1SW European champion Fasliyev (Nureyev), and fellow MG1SW sires Menifee (Harlan) and Desert Wine (Damascus).

Friday, Newmarket, Britain

TATTERSALLS FALMOUTH S.-G1, £200,000, NEW, 7-14, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:36.01, g/f.

1–&ROLY POLY, 124, f, 3, by War Front">War Front

1st Dam: Misty For Me (Ire) (Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire & Fr, Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 9.5-11f, MG1SW-Ire, G1SW-Fr & GISP-US, $1,124,364), by Galileo (Ire)

2nd Dam: Butterfly Cove, by Storm Cat

3rd Dam: Mr. P's Princess, by Mr. Prospector

($575,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Misty For Me Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £113,420. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-Ire, 13-4-4-0, $548,602. *Full to U S Navy Flag, GSP-Eng & SP-Ire, & 1/2 to Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), GSW-US, $122,227. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]2–Wuheida (GB), 124, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Hibaayeb (GB), by Singspiel (Ire). O-Godolphin; B-Darley (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £43,000.

3–Arabian Hope, 124, f, 3, Distorted Humor–Achieving, by Bernardini. ($550,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Godolphin; B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings Inc & George Prussin (KY); T-Saeed bin Suroor. £21,520.[bullet ad=”hillndale-co-bredraisedsold”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 1HF. Odds: 1.50, 3.00, 6.50.

Also Ran: Sea of Grace (Ire), Delectation (GB), Greta G (Arg), Opal Tiara (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.