Pretty Polly Stakes Winner Estrange Retired

Estrange (IRE), winner of this year's Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) and a leading Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) contender, has been retired from racing and will join Cheveley Park Stud's broodmare band next year. The 5-year-old daughter of Night of Thunder (IRE) scored at the top level in June at the Curragh, a race which turned out to be her final racecourse appearance. She had ranged between 12-1 and 16-1 for the Arc, which she had been targeted at last season before meeting with a late setback, and history has been repeated this year. Cheveley Park managing director Chris Richardson said: "Estrange suffered some bone bruising during her last race, which meant she's had to have an easy time since and, although an autumn campaign was being envisaged, time is running out to have her fully fit, therefore Mrs. Thompson feels, as she's won her group 1, it is time for her to retire to the paddocks." The David O'Meara-trained gray created an immediate impression when winning by 5 1/2 lengths on debut at Goodwood Racecourse as a 3-year-old. She claimed listed honors two starts later and picked up where she left off in 2025 with victories in the Lester Piggott Stakes (G3) and Lancashire Oaks Stakes (G2). She then finished second behind Minnie Hauk (IRE) in the Yorkshire Oaks Stakes (G1) and Kalpana (GB) in the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (G1). Her final two starts yielded victories in the Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes again in May and the Pretty Polly, in which she had Epsom Oaks (G1) heroine Thundering On (GB) back in fourth. Richardson added: "Estrange has given Patricia Thompson, her son Richard, their family and all of us at Cheveley Park Stud some wonderful moments on the racecourse and we cannot thank David O'Meara and his staff enough for training her so wonderfully." O'Meara said: "I think it was Goodwood this weekend where she won her maiden two years ago. She ran nine times, winning six and finishing second twice behind Kalpana and Minnie Hauk. She's been a wonderful mare for us and to have won a group 1 that day in Ireland was very special. "She was very straightforward and I don't think she missed a single day's riding out the whole time she was with us. She'll definitely be missed and will leave a massive hole in the yard. We can only thank Chris Richardson and all the team at Cheveley for sending her here. Chris bought her as a yearling from Ballyhimikin Stud and he always had huge faith in her." A 425,000-guinea Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 purchase by Cheveley Park in 2022, Estrange was bred by Anthony Stroud, Trevor Stewart, and James Hanly out of the Juddmonte-bred Alienate. The Oasis Dream (GB) mare is a full sister to Sleep Walk, the dam of two-time Diana Stakes (G1T) winner Whitebeam (GB), and a half sister to 2019 St Leger Stakes (G1) hero Logician (GB), three-time grade 3 winner Suffused (GB), and group 3 scorer Okeechobee (GB). Estrange is one of 13 group or grade 1 winners for Night of Thunder, Darley's reigning British and Irish champion sire. Mating plans have yet to be finalized.