Mary Tudor ready to test Irish 1000 Guineas credentials

A wide range of ‘trials’ for the forthcoming Classics in England and Ireland dominate European racing at present.

They roar past us like express trains in rush hour. The credentials of a generation will be analysed and an order established in a matter of weeks, so, clearly, time is the trainer’s greatest enemy.

Godolphin interest in Sunday’s potentially informative Leopardstown card revolves mainly around the Willie McCreery-trained Mary Tudor (Dawn Approach) in the G3 Irish 1000 Guineas Trial, in which she faces 11 talented rivals.

McCreery admits he embarked on an exploratory mission earlier in the year with this beautifully-bred filly.

“I ran her over 10 furlongs in a Listed race at Navan last month to see if she had options,” the trainer explained.

And clearly she has because she came home a comfortable winner by two and a half lengths on ground that was officially termed ‘Yielding to Soft.’

Entries for Royal Ascot’s G2 Ribblesdale Stakes and the G1 Irish Oaks at the Curragh — both over a mile and a half — now look feasible, alongside of course both the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and the G1 Coronation Stakes, over one mile.

“I think she will be seen at her best on a better surface, but this Guineas Trial (also one mile) should tell us exactly where we are. I am expecting a good run. She is getting stronger all the time,” McCreery added.

The grand-dam of Mary Tudor (Dawn Approach) is a winning half-sister to Street Cry and to the dam of Shamardal, which makes her one of the most valuable fillies of her generation.

Mary Tudor is joined in the Leopardstown race by another Godolphin runner, the Jim Bolger-trained Dawn Delivers (Dawn Approach), who displayed plenty of promise in her juvenile year.

The G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial regularly produces pointers to Epsom, and this latest renewal should be no exception.

The eight runners are headed by three Aidan O’Brien-trained colts, which include The Pentagon.