Chinese White ends career with win

Chinese White saved her best for last - and under difficult circumstances - at the Curragh on Saturday as she made off with the Group 1, $247,000 Pretty Polly Stakes while in foal to Cape Cross.

The 5-year-old Dermot Weld-trained mare, a daughter of Arc winner Dalakhani, chased the hot early pace of Akdarena, who was 10 lengths in front halfway through the 1 1/4 miles and still four lengths clear entering the three-furlong stretch. With Pat Smullen sitting in the catbird seat, Chinese White led at the three-sixteenths pole and was ridden out for a 1 1/4-length victory over Godolphin's Flying Cloud. Akdarena held on for third by a short head from Coolmore's Remember When, the 7-4 favorite who remains a maiden after five starts. The winning time on good-to-firm ground was 2:03.84, the third fastest for the race in its 63 runnings.

This was a fitting conclusion to the racing career of Chinese White, who went off as the 4-1 third choice despite having won 4 of her 6 previous starts, among them the 1 1/4-mile, Group 2 Blandford Stakes and the 1 1/8-mile, Group 3 Dance Design Stakes. She also won three 1 3/16-mile listed races at Gowran Park. Out of the Sadler's Wells mare Chiang Mai, who also won the Blandford Stakes when it was a Group 3 race, Chinese White retires with a record of 7 victories from 14 starts, for earnings of $588,043.

Chinese White is owned by prominent Irish breeder and Greek shipping heiress Lady O'Reilly. Born in the United States, she also is known as Chryss Goulandris and holds dual Greek and American citizenship. With her husband Tony O'Reilly she owns Castlemartin Stud and is the owner Petra Bloodstock Agency and Skymarc Farm, where she bred 1996 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Helissio.

Chinese White was bred by Skymarc Farm and Castlemartin Studs.