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Lucky Vega team ready for rematch with Poetic Flare with plan to stick to a mile

Lucky Vega (left) is beaten a short head and a neck in finishing third to Poetic Flare (right) in the 2,000 Guineas
Lucky Vega (left) is beaten a short head and a neck in finishing third to Poetic Flare (right) in the 2,000 GuineasCredit: Edward Whitaker

Lucky Vega silenced any stamina doubters with a cracking third place on his first try at a mile in Saturday's 2,000 Guineas, and Jessica Harrington is set to keep the Group 1-winning colt to the same distance for his next top-level outing.

The Zhang Yuesheng-owned three-year-old, who ran out an impressive winner of last year's Phoenix Stakes over 6f, features prominently in ante-post markets for the Commonwealth Cup, but a mile campaign for the immediate future appears to be on the Classic hopeful's agenda.

Harrington, who also recorded a Punchestown festival hat-trick last week, said: "He ran an absolutely smashing race and what I loved about him was that he was coming back at the front two in the closing stages.

"He seemed to stay the trip, went on the ground and did everything right. I'd say the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James's Palace Stakes are possible for him at the moment."

Lucky Vega: Europe's joint-fifth highest-rated juvenile in 2020
Lucky Vega: Europe's joint-fifth highest-rated juvenile in 2020Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The Lope De Vega colt is set to join the Yulong Stud roster in Australia later this year at a fee of A$22,000 (£12,300/€14,100), but Shane Foley, who has partnered the top-class performer on each of his six lifetime starts, is looking forward to another crack at Newmarket star Poetic Flare first.

Reflecting on the narrow defeat from Gowran Park on Tuesday, Foley told Racing TV: "He ran his heart out – it was a massive run. We were going there with the intention of him staying, he had been showing us in his homework that he would stay, and he did.

"If you had it back again you might have ridden him a bit differently, even a bit more positively, but he'll improve plenty from that and I'm looking forward to the rematch with Mr Bolger's horse at the Curragh, all going well."

Foley added of the narrow defeat by just a short head and a neck: "He's so relaxed and laid back. He travelled a bit fresh through the early part of the race, but it was his first run for a while so he was always going to do that.

"Mrs Harrington had him spot-on. To run like that on your first start in a championship race takes a bit of doing. I think he'll improve mentally and physically, as well as in terms of fitness, going to the Curragh. He's something to look forward to."


Lucky Vega career details


Thunder Moon: top two-year-old failed to fire in the 2,000 Guineas
Thunder Moon: top two-year-old failed to fire in the 2,000 GuineasCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Connections of leading Guineas fancy Thunder Moon did not leave Newmarket with anywhere near the same positivity after the Group 1-winning juvenile from last season failed to run any sort of race, trailing the field having gone o11-2.

The veterinary officer on duty at Newmarket stated that a post-race examination of last year's brilliant Vincent O'Brien National Stakes winner failed to reveal any abnormalities with nothing coming to light since.

"We'll just regroup and make a plan from here," said O'Brien, who has yet to finalise any immediate plans for the Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez-owned colt.

"He got a bit hot in the prelims and it was a disappointing run, but that's the way it goes."


Read more:

Henry de Bromhead: Envoi Allen flop was down to a chipped joint

'It's time to drop the curtain' – Punchestown regular Enniskillen retired

High-class Broome continues perfect start to season in Mooresbridge Stakes


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Mark BoylanReporter

Published on 5 May 2021inNews

Last updated 19:30, 4 May 2021

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