Oasis Dream filly Pretty Pollyanna powers clear in Duchess of Cambridge

Banstead Manor Stud stalwart Oasis Dream was represented by his 54th Pattern winner on Friday when daughter Pretty Pollyanna ran away with the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.

The filly, trained by Michael Bell for owner-breeders Bill and Tim Gredley, had won at Yarmouth and finished a keeping-on fifth in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last month but showed her rivals a clean pair of heels on her third start, defeating Angel's Hideaway (by Dark Angel) by seven lengths with Chaleur (Dansili) in third.

She becomes a second winner of the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes for Oasis Dream, formerly the Cherry Hinton, after Misheer in 2009 and earns a quote of around 12-1 for the 1,000 Guineas next year.

View the Duke of Cambridge Stakes result and watch the replay

Oasis Dream enjoyed one of his finest moments on the Newmarket July course, gaining revenge on his King's Stand Stakes conqueror Choisir to win the July Cup by clear water.

A Green Desert half-brother to Classic heroine Zenda, Oasis Dream was also a champion two-year-old, and won the Nunthorpe by two and a half lengths after the July Cup.

Unsurprisingly then, he retired to Banstead Manor in 2004 amid great expectations and he has lived up to them, supplying 15 Group/Grade 1 winners including stars such as Aqlaam, Goldream, Midday, Muhaarar and Tuscan Evening.

Oasis Dream has also developed into a notable sire of sires, with son Showcasing having excelled at Whitsbury Manor Stud and responsible for Thursday's July Stakes winner Advertise.

Oasis Dream had endured a quieter spell with his progeny since Muhaarar lit up the 2015 Flat season with his four impressive Group 1 sprint successes, and consequently his fee had dropped from £75,000 in 2016 to £30,000 this year.

However, it was always likely to be a temporary blip in form as many of his current runners, including Pretty Pollyanna, were bred at expensive fees - £75,000 in her case.

Pretty Pollyanna is the third foal bred by the Gredleys out of their unraced Shamardal mare Unex Mona Lisa, a half-sister to Grade 3 Robert J Frankel Stakes winner Gender Agenda and Listed Pretty Polly Stakes runner-up Madame Defarge, as well as smart handicappers Foolin Myself and Unex El Greco, who hold Racing Post Ratings in excess of 100.

Unex Mona Lisa - who has also produced the winners Roulette (Poet's Voice) and Preobrajenska (Paco Boy) - is out of another unraced mare in Friendlier, a Zafonic half-sister to Bill Gredley's brilliant racemare User Friendly.

User Friendly, a daughter of Slip Anchor, was sent out by Clive Brittain to notch the Anglo-Irish Oaks double and also took the Yorkshire Oaks, St Leger and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

User Friendly wins the Yorkshire Oaks under George DuffieldCredit: Unknown

User Friendly had failed to reach her reserve, a reported 25,000gns, as a yearling in Newmarket in 1990 before she returned home, and history has repeated itself with her relative Pretty Pollyanna, who was a 50,000gns vendor buyback at Tattersalls October Book 1 last year.

Unex Mona Lisa has a yearling colt by Nathaniel and a colt foal by New Approach born May 7.

The Gredleys' Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs have been in fine form in recent seasons, having also produced the popular Gold Cup winner Big Orange and Mill Reef Stakes scorer James Garfield.

Pretty Pollyanna is another feather in the cap for Shamardal as a broodmare sire, as his other daughters have also produced recent Irish Derby hero Latrobe, Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Awtaad and classy performers Dance Diva, Gifted Master, Royal Youmzain, Rusumaat and Strathspey.

From only three runners by Oasis Dream out of Shamardal mares on the Racing Post database, the cross has also come up with Listed-placed sprinter Rathaath.

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