Alpha Centauri Queen of the Mile

Girdys Gee Gees Dirty Dozen member Alpha Centauri showed just how good she is on Sunday and any doubters must surely now be converts.

She lined up for the group One Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois racing against colts for the first time and on ground described as Good To Soft. She’d beaten the 3yo fillies, she’d beaten the older fillies and mares but this was all ages, colts and fillies and on ground she supposedly doesn’t like. All of it proved of no concern.

Colm O'Donoghue edged her right out of the slipstream of With You and let out about half an inch of rein and that was that she went by almost effortlessly and at no point were her backers, myself included, ever worried.

Jessica Harrington afterwards "Coming here taking on colts, I thought maybe I was mad, but she's won all her races with such ease I thought we may as well try this and see how we’re going. She's a once-in-a-lifetime filly for me to train, she's just amazing."

Jockey Colm O'Donoghue added “She's such an exceptional filly. When she just eased out at the two-and-a-half pole, she wanted to go and I wasn’t going to block her. When she got down to the furlong marker she was just so strong underneath me.”

The filly is now the general 2-1 favourite for the Breeders' Cup Mile but keep your powder dry for now as she isn’t guaranteed to go with her trainer pointing out what a long season that would be for her. Racing manager Alan Cooper said "We have to discuss it with Jessie but I'd imagine it will possibly be the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown and then towards the Breeders’ Cup Mile. She's also entered in the QEII at Ascot, but let’s get home and see. I guess having travelled for the last three races it might be a good idea to stay at home for the next one."