Jessica Harrington plots Group 1 targets for top-class two-year-old fillies

Jessica Harrington couldn’t find one that stood out as bad among her juvenile crop earlier this year so presumed they were all "useless".

But little did she know she would have 23 two-year-old winners by the end of August and be dreaming of Classic glory.

A staggering 21 of those 23 victories have been by fillies and 16 individual juvenile fillies have won races this season, and Harrington said: "It has been unbelievable really and I feel very lucky to have so many brilliant two year-old fillies.

42 per cent of Harrington's winners on the Flat in Ireland in 2019 have been two-year-olds

"Back in March when we started working them we couldn’t find a bad one among them so I said to myself they are probably all useless! It’s very rare that you have a crop like that and they all end up being good."

The top three of her pecking order are Albigna, Alpine Star and Cayenne Pepper, who made it three from three when scorching clear to land the Group 3 Flame Of Tara Stakes at the Curragh on Friday evening.

Revealing her Group 1 targets for the trio, Harrington said: "After what she did on Friday night, I think the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket would be the ideal race for Cayenne Pepper. She is so straightforward. She’s amazing really and we all love her.

Albigna: winner of the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes in JuneCredit: Patrick McCann

"Alpine Star likes some cut and wears her heart on her sleeve so we are thinking of heading to France with her for the Prix Marcel Boussac. Albigna is heading for the Moyglare at the Curragh.

"Those are the plans in my head at the moment but that could change. The funny thing about those three fillies are that they are all chestnut, have brilliant attitudes too and a real desire to win. It’s hard not to fall in love with them."

Now that she is enjoying such success on the Flat, some have wondered whether Harrington might stick to the summer game rather than continue through the winter with jumpers. But she says that could not be further from her mind.

"That will never happen, I’d be bored," said Harrington, who has trained five Group 1 winners on the flat. "I still love training jumpers through the winter and I would never give that up. I would go mad if I was idle for too long."

For the freshest betting advice, based on latest going and market conditions, don't miss the Live Tipster every afternoon. Just click Raceday Live at racingpost.com or the mobile app