Sea Karats bids to be the exception to the rule by making big step up from debut

2.25 NewmarketBetfair Pretty Polly Stakes (Listed Race) | 3yo fillies | 1m2f | ITV/RTV

It’s not often you see a horse towards the head of the market for a recognised Oaks trial like the Pretty Polly on the back of a sole maiden defeat but Sea Karats is set to be an exception.

The 500,000gns yearling is a sister to John Porter winner Al Aasy and she looked unlucky not to justify significant support on her debut at Newbury, finishing third as 10-11 favourite.

The money poured in for Sea Karats that day and she would probably have won with a clear run as she picked up strongly when weaving her way through traffic, but it all came too late.

That was an eyecatching debut and she will definitely improve for the experience, but a Racing Post Rating of just 74 leaves her with 22lb to find with the best of these rivals.

Furthermore, in Britain and Ireland since the start of 2019 there have been 45 horses upped straight into Listed company for their second start after recording an RPR of less than 75 on their debut and only one of them was successful. A £1 bet on them all yielded a loss of £32.

Taslima also steps up into Listed company after just one run and she recorded an even lower RPR (70) than Sea Karats on her debut.

However, she does represent the John and Thady Gosden team and John has won five of the last seven runnings of this race, including twice with horses having only their second outings – Taghrooda in 2014 and Lah Ti Dar in 2018.

Taghrooda and Lah Ti Dar had both run to a much higher level on their debuts, though, with Taghrooda achieving a first-time-out RPR of 85 and Lah Ti Dar going even higher at 99.

A’Shaari looked a smart prospect when winning her only start in a 7f novice on the July course last August and she achieved a RPR of 87.

That still leaves her with 9lb to find with the standard-setters Lady Hayes, Mystery Angel and Alba Rose, but A’Shaari is by Dubawi from a smart US family of middle-distance winners, so should improve for this 1m2f trip.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Gosdens rely on Taslima to enhance Pretty Polly record

When it comes to this contest it tends to be a case of starting and finishing with whoever John Gosden is running, with the trainer sending out five of the last seven winners.

Taslima has been limited to just the one run in her career when second in a novice contest at Lingfield just before Christmas, which should at least prepare her for the likely weather conditions at Newmarket where temperatures continue to be below the average for this time of year.

John and Thady Gosden: team up with Taslima in the Pretty PollyCredit: Dan Abraham

Thady Gosden, co-trainer with his father, said: “She ran a decent race on her only start last year and is short on experience so hopefully this will bring her on.

“It's been quite cold for these fillies recently but she seems in good shape and hopefully she can get some black type.”

What they say

Charlie Appleby, trainer of A’Shaari
She's in great form and all of her preparations have gone well. Whatever she does this weekend she's going to improve for it. She's a filly we are excited about. A lot of questions will be answered, we're seeing how these horses have wintered from two to three and this being her first start, we want to see where we are.

Nick Bradley, racing manager for Nick Bradley Racing, owners of Forever Grateful and Mystery Angel
Mystery Angel ran well on her first start in France and then we ran her back too soon. She’s been working well, has form at the course and has a strong place chance. I feel she sets the standard but the others are unknown. Forever Grateful is more of a speculative runner. She’s been working nicely and went well with Roger’s other runner in this race, The Flying Ginger, so we’ll see what she can do.

Roger Varian, trainer of Lady Hayes
She's done great over the winter and we think she'll stay ten furlongs. Whether she wants the ground as quick of this I'm not sure but it looks quite an open Pretty Polly. If our filly gets the trip I think she'll run a very nice race.

William Haggas, trainer of Sea Karats
It’s a very important time of the year for a filly like her because she’s obviously got some ability. I was going to go to Chester or Lingfield but the forecast is for rain and I think she’s better on top of the ground. I think she wants a mile and a half but she’s a nice, strong-galloping filly and she should have won at Newbury. If she had won, she’d be running in a trial. I don’t like running maidens in stakes races but this doesn’t look very deep.
Reporting by Peter Scargill

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