Lush Lashes could make surprise return for Jim Bolger
Lush Lashes, a triple Group One winner two years ago, could be making a surprise return to racing for Jim Bolger this year.
The mare won the Coronation Stakes, Yorkshire Oaks, Matron Stakes as well as the Group Two Musidora Stakes in 2008, but did not win in three starts last year – her final run came when finishing fourth to Dar Re Mi in the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh - and she was retired to the paddocks for breeding.
However, the mare’s name has been appearing in the entries for upcoming races in Ireland and she is also one of 46 entries for the Group One Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on October 2nd.
Bolger’s wife, Jackie co-owned the mare during her racing career, and Bolger subsequently purchased Lush Lashes outright, going to 1.8 million guineas to secure her at Tattersalls Sales last November and earlier this year Lush lashes was covered by Sea The Stars, the six-times Group One winner.
Explaing the change in plans Bolger said: “Lush Lashes was covered by Sea The Stars and scanned in foal at 42 days but did not hold on to it - she lost the foal. She’s nearly ready now but I’ve no definite plan as to where she will run first – I’ll decide in the next two or three weeks. She’s very well and seems to be back to her old self. She’s so versatile that it will be fairly easy to place her.”
The options for Bolger could be the Group Two Royal Whip Stakes, at the Curragh on August 8th, which Aidan O’Brien has nominated as a likely next race for Fame And Glory, or the Group Three Dance Design Stakes, also at the Curragh, three weeks later.
Lush Lashes is also entered for the Group One Matron Stakes at Leopardstown in September.
The standout entry among the eight potential French runners in the Sun Chariot is Goldikova, last seen winning the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, while last year’s winner Sahpresa, trained by Rodolphe Collet, is on the road to recovery after suffering a setback.
Sahpresa beat 1000 Guineas winner Ghanaati by one-and-a- half lengths in the Sun Chariot and and went on to finish third in the Group One Mile Championship in Japan a month later. The mare’s only start this year came in the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes at the royal meeting when she finished eighth behind Strawberrydaiquiri. “Sahpresa has been sick since Ascot so we are working to get her back and ready to compete by September,” Collet said.
“She will be off for the summer and the plan is to come back for the autumn and maybe we can get to Newmarket again.
“She has been sick but it has not been anything important, just enough to keep her quiet for three or four weeks. We found that she had an infection and that is why she did not run well at Royal Ascot. Everything is perfect now and she is back in training, so we will hopefully have her well and in good form for October. She did very well at the end of last season and ran very well in England and Japan. She looks good now and I’m looking forward to having her right later this season.”
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