Oaks Prospect for American Pharoah
Exciting three year-old filly Pretty Amazing (3f American Pharoah x Pretty Penny, by Encosta de Lago) was exactly that in the 1550m Benchmark 64 event at Canterbury on Friday night, stepping straight from a maiden win at Newcastle to beat older rivals at her third race start.
The Chris Waller trained filly was sent out favourite despite drawing the outside in the field of eight and showed her class with a remarkable win.
She was taken back after the jump by James McDonald and had to circle the field, producing a sustained burst of acceleration to charge home and win running away by more than a length.
“That was fantastic!” said stable representative Charlie Duckworth.
“You don’t often see them do that around here. Chris was on the phone straight afterwards and said ‘she might be this year’s Toffee Tongue.”
Toffee Tongue made rapid progress in the autumn of 2020 finishing second in the Group I ATC Australian Oaks before winning the Group I SAJC Australasian Oaks and winning rider James McDonald certainly believes Pretty Amazing has staying potential.
“It was a very good solid performance and it’s never easy to circumnavigate here as she did tonight,” said McDonald.
“She feels like she will stay and there will be some beautiful races for her in time.”
Pretty Amazing was retained to race by her breeders Denis and Clair O'Brien and is the eighth winner from eight foals to race from blue hen Pretty Penny.
She a half-sister to Group winners Sertorius, Pretty Brazen and Dollar for Dollar, who have all been Group I placed as well as ill-fated Group III winner Clifton Red and stakes-placed Rezealient, I Am Titanium and Fortune of War.
Pretty Amazing was broken in and educated at Coolmore and will no doubt attempt to follow her siblings into Black Type during the autumn as her classic year unfolds.
Now 21 years old, Pretty Penny has an unraced two year-old full sister to Pretty Amazing called Pretty Awesome and produced her final foal last spring.
Born at Coolmore on Christmas Eve, this gorgeous colt by Everest hero Yes Yes Yes is the tenth living foal from Pretty Penny, who was bought for Denis and Claire O’Brien by Colm Santry at the 2016 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale for $570,000.
The O’Brien’s had a tremendous result when selling Pretty Brazen as a yearling at Inglis Easter in 2018 for $700,000 and the mare has given them a legacy to continue with in the shape of her two lovely fillies by Triple Crown hero American Pharoah.
American Pharoah has 10 entries for Inglis Premier and 10 for Inglis Easter as well as nine for Karaka Book 1.