Jackie Oh has glamorous name and illustrious legacy to live up to at Naas

Jackie Oh

Naas: Dubawi Legend Irish EBF Fillies Maiden (4.55)

March is going out like a lion in Ireland, weather that traditionally heralds the arrival of the Flat season which gets underway today at the Curragh. The action moves across Kildare to Naas on Sunday where the three-year-old maiden for fillies has attracted a strong field of 10, including an eyecatching newcomer for Aidan O'Brien.

Illustrious siblings

As a daughter of the inimitable Galileo, it is unsurprising that Jackie Oh comes with an impressive pedigree. Bred by Triermore Stud, in whose colours she runs, Jackie Oh is a full-sister to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Line Of Duty who was also placed in the Prix Jacques le Marois and Prix du Moulin for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby. 

They are also full-siblings to Hibiscus, who was second in the Listed Brown Panther Stakes for the Coolmore partners, having brought 625,000gns as a yearling at Book 1.

Their Dubawi half-siblings - Secret State and Onassis - were both successful as three-year-olds in handicaps at Royal Ascot. The now six-year-old mare Onassis went on to win the Listed Prix Bagatelle and October Stakes for Triermore Stud and the Honourable Peter Stanley while Secret State, who was a 525,000gns purchase by Godolphin won the King George V Stakes last June, and was runner-up in the Great Voltigeur.

Jackie Oh has a two-year-old full-sister who was purchased by Ted Voute on behalf of Nawarra Stud for 500,000gns at Book 1 last October.

Poignant tale

Jackie Oh is a daughter of Jacqueline Quest, whose demotion from first place in the 1,000 Guineas of 2010 was one of the most poignant stewards' room decisions in recent memory.

The Rock Of Gibraltar mare was trained by Sir Henry Cecil for owner Noel Martin, who had been left a quadriplegic following an attack by neo-Nazis. Jacqueline Quest was named after his late wife Jacqueline, and had been a beacon of light for Martin during some of his darkest days.

After the heartbreak of Newmarket, Jacqueline Quest was third in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and at the end of her four-year-old season was bought by the late Major Christopher Hanbury of Triermore Stud for 600,000gns.

Jacqueline Quest was bred by Roundhill Stud out of Coquette Rouge and sold by Bobby and Honora Donworth's Limerick farm to McKeever St Lawrence for €60,000 at the Goffs Million sale. 

She is the dam of six winners from as many runners but died from complications after foaling a colt by Wootton Bassett last May, days after the death of Major Hanbury.

Her biggest danger

The enemy within is often more dangerous than the enemy without and of the fillies with racecourse experience it is another Ballydoyle contender, with an even more impressive lineage, who is likely to prove the biggest obstacle to success for Jackie Oh.

Red Riding Hood is a Coolmore homebred from the first crop of the Triple Crown winner Justify, who was second on her only start at two, which in a more unusual move came at Ascot last September. 

The filly, who holds Classic entries, is the third foal out of Prix Marcel Boussac winner Ballydoyle who beat the great Minding to win the Group 2 Debutante Stakes. Ballydoyle is a Galileo full-sister to Classic and Group 1 winner Misty For Me, in turn the dam of Group 1 winners US Navy Flag and Roly Poly. Ballydoyle is the dam of two winners from her first three foals, headed by Monday who was successful in the Listed Ingabelle Stakes.

More to read

Old combination of Attfield and Fipke seeking another upset in Dubai 

'It just made sense to go back' - Moyglare Stud Farm mating plans for 2023 revealed