by Myra Lewyn

Michael Tabor’s Again will bid to continue her ascent up the class ladder on Sunday in the $460,560 Moyglare Stud Stakes (Ire-G1) at the Curragh, where she will face an unbeaten challenger in Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Shimah.

Again, a Danehill Dancer filly, is the only group stakes winner in the field of 12 fillies and is the early favorite for the seven-furlong race. She enters off back-to-back victories, including a visually impressive three-length triumph in the Ballygallon Stud Debutante Stakes (Ire-G2) two weeks ago at Leopardstown.

The bay filly got a perfect stalking trip under Johnny Murtagh in that seven-furlong race and willingly rallied to challenge over a quarter-mile out. Seizing command along the rail with a sixteenth of a mile to run, Again easily powered clear to a convincing victory.

The win followed a half-length tally despite some interference in a maiden race at the Curragh on July 27. She could not, however, overcome severe interference at Roscommon in her debut 20 days earlier and finished eighth.

Again, who is trained by David Wachman, is the early favorite for the Moyglare Stud Stakes, but Shimah looms threateningly as the winner of both her career starts by open lengths.

Trained by Kevin Prendergast, the Kentucky-bred Storm Cat filly is in search of her first group stakes win and comes in off a comfortable three-length score in the Balanchine Saoire Stakes on June 27 at the Curragh.

A half sister to three stakes winners, including group winners Haatef and Walayef, Shimah easily dispatched nine opponents in her career bow earlier that month, striking the lead from off the pace in the final furlong for a four-length win.

Myra Lewyn is a Thoroughbred Times Today editor