Pretty Polly’s dam was the cluster mare, Admiration by Saraband, who won two small races in Ireland, before being tried as a steeplechaser.

[1] Admiration foaled nine winners, which won 42 races worth £52,484,[2] and founded a successful female family, which included top class gallopers Craganour, Cresta Run, King John and Tehran.

[3] Pretty Polly was bred and owned by Major Eustace Loder and trained by Peter Gilpin, she won nine races from nine starts as a two-year-old in 1903.

Pretty Polly was returned to the place of her birth, Eyrefield Lodge Stud, to begin her new career as a broodmare.

[2] Her four daughters (each by a different sire) were successful as broodmares, founding the classic winning Pretty Polly family which remains important in the stud book.