Hughie Morrison considering Galtres Stakes for Shirocco Star
Darley Irish Oaks runner-up, Shirocco Star, is likely to step down to the Galtres Stakes in order to boost up her confidence following a few unlucky outings lately.
Hughie Morrison’s 3-year-old charge has raced thrice at the top level, but all in defeat. She made her first graded appearance at Epsom, where she missed the top prize only by a neck’s distance in the Group 1 Investec Oaks last month.
In the hands of Darryll Holland, she ran brilliantly, but Aidan O’Brien’s 20-1 chance, Was, took the credit away from her in the dying moments. She made another unlucky trip last month, when ending up third behind Princes Highway in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The maverick filly once again failed to add the finishing touch and as a result, missed the runner-up spot only by a short head’s distance. Shirocco Star’s misery continued at Curragh, where she narrowly missed the crown in the Group 1 Darley Irish Oaks.
Although the daughter of Shirocco was unable to challenge Great Heavens, she did well to take revenge from Princess Highway and Was, who respectively finished third and fourth on the table.
Bred by Meon Valley Stud, the bay filly secured her sole win in October last year, when she beat Varnish in the Julia Tooth Memorial EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes (Div II) at Newbury.
Shirocco Star is running tremendously in the middle-distance races, but has not unchained the shackles so far. Owned by Helena Springfield Ltd, the filly has entered next month’s Group 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks, but the handler is mulling over the Galtres Stakes, as he wants his trainee to grab a confidence-boosting success.
"She's a Group One horse who's just waiting to win a Group race, (at the Curragh) she's beaten the horses that beat her on the two previous occasions (Princess Highway and Was)," Morrison told At The Races.
The East Ilsley trainer continued: "She will go on any ground on the basis that she's a very tough filly who tries. If we could find the right race at the same time as the Yorkshire Oaks - the Galtres - we could look at that, but those races could come too quick. I wouldn't be frightened to bring her back to a mile and a quarter."
Tags: