by Mike Curry

Promising Lead flashed her potential with a runner-up finish to Satwa Queen in the 2007 Prix de l’Opera Casino Barriere d’Enghien les Bains (Fr-G1) to close her three-year-old season, and in her second start this year, the Danehill filly earned a breakthrough Group 1 win on Saturday at the Curragh.

Jockey Ryan Moore asked Promising Lead to pick up the pace with about three furlongs remaining in the $394,750 Audi Pretty Polly Stakes (Ire-G1) and she responded willingly.

Promising Lead reeled in fading pacesetter Ice Queen with about two furlongs to race, opened a clear lead, and held off runner-up Mad About You by 1 1/4 lengths for a convincing win.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the Juddmonte Farms homebred completed 1 1/4 miles in 2:06.80 on yielding turf.

Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) runner-up Mad About You was 4 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Anna Pavlova. Finsceal Beo, a dual classic winner in 2007 who was attempting to record her first win of the year, offered no response when roused and was eased by jockey Kevin Manning in the final furlong.

Promising Lead entered the Pretty Polly off a 3 3/4-length victory in the Totescoop6 Special Middleton Stakes (Eng-G3) on May 15 at York in her first start off a layoff of more than seven months.

“She is a really big, scopey, progressive filly,” Stoute told England’s Press Association. “She improved through last year and was only beaten a head in the Opera.

"She started off this season winning well in a Group 3 at York, and she is really coming to herself.”

Promising Lead improved to four wins and two seconds in seven career starts.

Promising Lead is out of the stakes-winning Kahyasi mare Arrive, a full sister to 2006 European Broodmare of the Year Hasili, dam of champions Intercontinental (GB) and Banks Hill (GB), multiple Grade 1 winners Cacique (Ire) and Heat Haze (GB), and Group 2 winner and leading sire Dansili (GB).

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor