Preseli (horse)

Preseli made her racecourse debut in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Roscommon Racecourse on 4 July and started at odds of 7/1 in a ten-runner field. She was restrained by Ahern in the early running and was still in seventh place entering the last quarter mile but then made rapid progress, took the lead inside the final furlong and won by a length from the John Oxx-trained favourite Potentille.[7] On 22 August the filly was moved up in class for the Listed Debutante Stakes over the same distance at Leopardstown Racecourse and started 7/1 second choice in the betting behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained Amethyst who was made the 1/4 favourite. After racing fourth of the six runners she made steady progress in the straight, caught the front-running Amethyst in the final strides, and won by three quarters of a length.[8]

Preseli was stepped up to Group 1 class and started at odds of 9/1 for the Moyglare Stud Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh on 5 September. The British-trained Littlefeather started favourite after an impressive win at Chester, while the other ten runners included Amethyst, Torgau and Eurolink Raindance (second in the Sweet Solera Stakes). Torgau set the pace and opened up a clear lead approaching the final furlong as Preseli began to make rapid progress. Preseli caught Torgau in the closing stages and won by three quarters of a length with Littlefeather a length and a half away in third.[9] After the race Eddie Ahern said "She travelled well all the way and really quickened when I asked her to go" while Michael Grassick commented "Preseli is in the Irish 1,000 guineas and the Irish Oaks next season, and I think she will stay a mile and a half because the further they went today the stronger she was finishing".[10]

On 14 May, Preseli began her second campaign in the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial over one mile and, despite carrying a seven-pound weight penalty for her Group 1 win, started 7/4 favourite against eight opponents headed by the C L Weld Park Stakes winner Theoretically. After settling in second place she took the lead a furlong and a half from the finish and held off the late challenge of Storm Dream to win by a short head.[11] At the Curragh two weeks later the filly attempted to take her unbeaten run to five when she started 5/1 second favourite for the Irish 1000 Guineas but never looked likely to win and finished unplaced behind Crimplene. Grassick later explained that the filly had been in season at the time.[12]

Preseli was moved up in distance for the Pretty Polly Stakes (then a Group 2 race) over ten furlongs at the Curragh on 1 July in which she was matched against older fillies and mares. Starting at odds of 6/1 she finished strongly but failed by a short head to catch the Barry Hills-trained Lady Upstage, to whom she was conceding five pounds in weight. Ahern received a suspension for "excessive use of the whip" on the filly.[13] In the Irish Oaks two weeks later Preseli raced in third place before fading badly in the straight and came home ninth of the ten runners in a race won by Petrushka.

For the 2001 season, Preseli was transferred to the United States, where she was trained by the Englishman Michael Dickinson. She made little impact in her two races, finishing unplaced in the Waya Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in September and then running seventh in the Grade III Athenia Handicap at Belmont Park in the following month.[14]