Necklace (horse)

Necklace was ridden in all of her races by Mick Kinane. On her racecourse debut ahe faced eleven opponents in a maiden race over six furlongs on 12 July at the Curragh. She was made the 3/1 favourite but despite recovering from a poor start she failed to overhaul the Jim Bolger-trained Soviet Belle and was beaten three quarters of a length into second place. The filly was then stepped up to Group 3 class for the Debutante Stakes over seven furlongs at the same track four weeks later and started 7/4 favourite against twelve opponents. She was restrained towards the rear before coming through to take the lead a furlong out and winning by a length from the British-trained Caldy Dancer with Red Feather in third.[6]

On 31 August Necklace was moved up again in class for the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and started 5/4 favourite in an eleven-runner field. Soviet Belle and Red Feather were again in opposition while the other fancied runners included River Belle (Princess Margaret Stakes) and Maroochydore (Silver Flash Stakes). Kinane restrained the filly in the early stages as her stablemate Oh So Precious set the pace before giving way to the Clive Brittain-trained Menhoubah approaching the last quarter mile. Necklace moved into third place a furlong out and finished strongly to take the lead and win by a length and a short head from Red Feather and Menhoubah.[7] Commenting on the winner's future prospects Kinane said "Another furlong would be really up her street. She is going to be an Oaks filly next season and she would have a shout in the 1,000 Guineas too".[8] Aidan O'Brien said "Necklace has improved with each run and is a lovely filly."[9]

On her final race of the year Necklace was sent to France for the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac over 1400 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 5 October. She started favourite but never looked to have any chance of winning and came home tenth of the sixteen runners behind Denebola.

Necklace began her second season in the 191st running of the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley mile at Newmarket Racecourse on 2 May. She started at odds of 8/1 and made no impact, tiring in the last quarter mile and finishing twelfth behind Attraction. She did a little better in the Irish 1000 Guineas three weeks later when she came home sixth behind Attraction, beaten six lengths by the winner. On 4 June the filly was moved up in distance for the 225th Epsom Oaks over one and a half miles in which she finished fourth behind Ouija Board, All Too Beautiful and Punctilious.[10]

In autumn Nacklace was sent to compete in the United States where she contested two races. In August she started a 25/1 outsider for the Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park and finished strongly to take third place, beaten half a length and a head by Crimson Palace and Riskaverse. At Belmont Park in September she started second favourite for the Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap but finished fourth of the seven runners behind Lucifer's Stone.