Tag: G1 Qatar Nassau S.

Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Tabbed as Automatic Qualifier for Goodwood

Gulfstream Park's GII Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational, just upgraded this week from a Grade III to Grade II event, got another boon Wednesday when 1/ST Racing announced the race will serve as an automatic qualifier for the G1 Qatar Nassau S. at England's Qatar Goodwood Festival Aug. 1. The Filly & Mare Turf will be held Jan. 27 as part of Gulfstream's Pegasus World Cup Day presented by Baccarat, which features the $3 million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and six other graded races.

“Goodwood Racecourse is one of the crown jewels in global racing,” said 1/ST Racing & Gaming CEO Aidan Butler. “It's an honor to work together with Goodwood on growing each of our events and brands at home and abroad.”

Goodwood's Director, Lord William Gordon Lennox, concurred: “Goodwood is thrilled to be partnering with 1/ST on this exciting initiative. This is a great first step in what we hope will be an exciting partnership over the coming years.”

1/ST also began a partnership this year with Royal Ascot, making Gulfstream's Royal Palm Juvenile and Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies races automatic qualifiers for entry into one of six 2-year-old races during Royal Ascot in June. Crimson Advocate (Nyquist) won both the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies and Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S.

The Goodwood partnership will include a $25,000 travel stipend to the winning connections of the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

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Dubawi’s Al Husn Upsets Nashwa And Blue Rose Cen In The Nassau

Shadwell's Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}–Hadaatha {Ire}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) caused an upset when usurping Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the dying strides of Newcastle's G3 Hoppings S. when last seen and repeated the dose with a game performance for a career high in a stellar renewal of Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Goodwood.

This year's G2 Dahlia S. runner-up and Listed Rothesay S. victrix was let go at generous odds of 9-1 and broke smartly from the outside stall to find a smooth rhythm in a close-up second for the most part. Shaken up to gain a narrow advantage from the pacesetting Above The Curve (American Pharoah) passing the quarter-mile marker, she refused to yield thereafter and was driven out inside the final furlong to withstand the rallying effort of that rival by a half-length. Last year's winner Nashwa posed an ominous threat on the outside throughout the final quarter-mile, but was unable to find the necessary kick when it mattered most and was the same margin further adrift in third. Christopher Head trainee and dual Classic heroine Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) fell foul to Goodwood's notorious traffic problems and was unable to produce her usual flourish along the far-side rail, finishing a neck away in fourth.

“Al Husn is a remarkable filly and she has won seven of her last eight now,” said Roger Varian after his charge joined the who's-who of elite-level distaffers and became his breakthrough in the 183-year-old contest. “The truth is none of us really knew how good she was, because she is one of those who just beats what is in front of her and is never particularly flashy. She has such an admirable attitude. We thought we would come here and run very well, but I am obviously delighted, and delighted Sheihka Hissa is here. To have a Group 1 for her and with a homebred filly like this, it's fantastic. The Nassau is a fantastic race, steeped in prestige and history. It is one of the magical races for fillies to win. It will be forever in her stud book and hopefully when she's done racing, she can go to the farm and be a great mare for them. It is very special for us, we went very close a couple of years ago in the same colours with Zeyaadah, so it's nice to go one better today. She is not the biggest filly, but she is very well made. We trained her mum, Hadaatha, who was third in the [G1] Prix de l'Opera, so we always had faith that Hadaatha would breed a very good one.”

Looking ahead to Group 1 options down the line, Varian added, “Let's enjoy today and see how she is tomorrow. She is in the [G1] Prix Jean Romanet [at Deauville] in two-and-a-half weeks' and the [G1] Yorkshire Oaks, if we fancy going up to a mile and a half, although I'm not sure about that. Later in the year, races like the [G1] Prix de l'Opera I'm sure will be considered and who knows, perhaps something at Santa Anita for her.”

Crowley Back Where He Belongs
Rider Jim Crowley's fortunes took an upward turn and his winning percentage was a small measure of compensation to offset an excessive sanction imposed earlier in the week for his ride aboard Hukum in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot. “Al Husn was so tough there,” he said. “She is not a big filly, but she is a little terrier who tries and is so tough. She has improved with every run and it's just great to nick a race like that with her. She is a very good filly and we were in the right place at the right time. It is the nature of the track and, when I saw the French filly get that [inside] draw, I thought they were going to need a bit of luck. I had to commit on her a long way out and we had the luck today. It was a steady, tactical affair and she was in the right place, but she still had to kick on two out and fend them off, which she did. It was a great performance, Roger's done a fantastic job with her and she's just kept on improving all season. Coming here today, she still had to step up, and she did. She might possibly get further, but we have never really thought about it. It is something we can talk about.”

No Repeat For Nashwa
Nashwa's rider Hollie Doyle felt the tactical nature of the contest contributed to defeat of the reigning champion, as did a fast-emptying tank in the conditions, and explained, “There was no pace early on and they got racing early coming down the hill. Nashwa relaxed beautifully, I tried to hold on to her for as long as I could and I went there with a double handful at the two-furlong pole. One-and-a-half furlongs out I went to win my race, pushed the button and she quickened. I just think, in the final furlong, I lacked a bit of stamina. It has happened a few times now and it confirmed what we might have thought. Take nothing away from the winner, who is very good.”

Thady Gosden was in agreement with Doyle's musings and said, “She has run a very good race, but they went a slow pace and it's very difficult to pick up in this ground. She travelled into the race well, but you can't quicken on ground like this and that has sucked the class out of her. She won last time over a mile and showed a brilliant turn-of-foot in ground that was not as soft and easier to quicken through. Today she has run a very good race, but couldn't quite show that brilliance we have seen before.”

Head Positive Despite Blue Rose Cen Reversal
Fourth-place finisher Blue Rose Cen was experiencing defeat for just the second time in her nine latest starts and Christophe Head uplifted spirits with a positive attitude in the aftermath. “She ran a nice race, she did her race, and for sure would have been closer in a different position,” he said of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix de Diane heroine. “It was a very tactical race so, of course, it was a possibility that kind of thing could happen. It's different here, so we need to accept that, even with a strong possibility of winning, there is still a possibility to fail. I think Blue Rose Cen ran a very nice race and she will now get into the rest of her programme. We will have to discuss with Leopoldo to see what the team want to do with her. This was a nice opportunity because we need to exist at this level. It hasn't been won by France since the beginning, so it was a challenge.”

Pedigree Notes

Al Husn is the fourth of seven foals and one of two scorers produced by stakes-winning G1 Prix de l'Opera third Hadaatha (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), herself a daughter of stakes-winning G1 1000 Guineas third Hathrah (Ire) (Linamix {Fr}). Hathrah is one of seven black-type performers out of the multiple stakes-placed Zivania (Ire) (Shernazar {Ire}), headed by MG1SP sire Ivan Luis (Fr) (Lycius) and G3 UAE 2000 Guineas-winning sire Stagelight (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). The April-foaled homebred bay is kin to a yearling filly by Siyouni (Fr) and a weanling filly by No Nay Never.

 

Thursday, Goodwood, Britain
QATAR NASSAU S.-G1, £600,000, Goodwood, 8-3, 3yo/up, f/m, 9f 197yT, 2:13.37, sf.
1–AL HUSN (IRE), 135, f, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Hadaatha (Ire) (SW-Eng & G1SP-Fr, $109,194), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Hathrah (Ire), by Linamix (Fr)
3rd Dam: Zivania (Ire), by Shernazar (Ire)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Roger Varian; J-Jim Crowley. £340,260. Lifetime Record: 10-7-1-0, $603,021. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Above The Curve, 135, f, 4, American Pharoah–Fabulous (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith & Westerberg; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Joseph O'Brien. £129,000.
3–Nashwa (GB), 135, f, 4, Frankel (GB)–Princess Loulou (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Imad Al Sagar; B-Blue Diamond Stud Farm (UK) Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £64,560.
Margins: HF, HF, NK. Odds: 9.00, 7.00, 2.75.
Also Ran: Blue Rose Cen (Ire), Caernarfon (GB), Never Ending Story (Ire).

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Goodwood: “I Can’t Wait To Get Into It.” Head Relishing Blue Rose Cen’s Nassau Test

So far at Goodwood this week, the front end has been the place to be in the races that matter most and that is good news for connections of Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) as she prepares to battle her elders for the first time in Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. They include the gilt-edged 4-year-old Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), but Hollie Doyle no doubt has a far greater tactical task than Aurelien Lemaitre on the French raider who is even drawn in one to add more bolster to her cause.

Yeguada Centurion's homebred is admirably straightforward, as she proved on her last three Group 1 starts which included the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane and that is always an advantage on this notoriously difficult track. “I think it is a very tactical racetrack and a very interesting one,” trainer Christopher Head said. “She has had a brilliant preparation and we are very happy with her and we can't wait to get to Goodwood races. She is a wonderful filly, the filly of my life for now, and I'm really happy to have the luck to train her. I can't wait to get into it, because there is such a good atmosphere at the races in the UK and it is really a unique feeling when you run a horse there.”

“The ground should not be any issue for her,” he added. “She has already encountered various tracks and there is no problem at any of them. We will need to see her run, but there is a project about seeing what she is capable of doing in a staying capacity, such as the Vermeille, just to see if she is capable of going further. We don't have the limit of the filly now–she looks like she can do everything! For now, she has the benefit of choice.”

Nashwa, who excelled on a contrastingly fast surface 12 months ago, was back to her excellent best last time in the G1 Falmouth S. but this is no doubt as far as she wants to go these days and the ground will only serve to make it a genuine test. Imad Al Sagar's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe is hoping the Newmarket run will serve as a relaunch of the filly in 2023. “I think it was so encouraging the way she did it at Newmarket,” he said. “Everybody's faith has been repaid, as it were. She looked good and had done well over the winter and, if anything, might have done a bit too well.”

“She is a big, scopey filly and sometimes they just take a little while to come to themselves,” Grimthorpe added. “It was never that she worked badly, she was always going nicely, but I think after Newcastle it looked like she suddenly began to take hold of the bridle. It is a very interesting race and the French filly looks exceptional. We are always hopeful, but the good thing is she is going into the race how we'd want her to.”

With the French challenger new to this kind of test and Nashwa not certain to perform to last year's standard, the way could be open to either Shadwell's fast-improving G3 Hoppings S. winner Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) or to last year's G1 Prix Saint-Alary-winning TDN Rising Star Above The Curve (American Pharoah). Both have had Nashwa behind this season and if the latter is allowed an easy time in front she will be dangerous as she proved in the G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud in May.

 

 

Is Vandeek The Answer In Beleaguered Richmond?

With Clive Cox withdrawing the G2 July S. winner and likely hot favourite Jasour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) and Aidan O'Brien also opting to leave TDN Rising Star Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at home, Goodwood's G2 Markel Richmond S. has become much more open on Thursday. KHK Racing Ltd's 625,000gns joint-topper at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) made the ideal start to his career over this six-furlong trip at Nottingham last month and has all the upside that is required for one of these.

“He looked a bit inexperienced at Nottingham and just fell out the stalls, but with the ground the way it is–it was soft when he won there–it will help,” Ed Crisford said. “He seems to have come on for that mentally for the last few weeks, so we thought we'd take a chance. If he can take a step forward from his maiden win, we'll be pleased. He is one for the future and it is not all about this.”

That also applies to Manton Park Racing's five-length Newbury novice winner Sketch (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) from the Freddie and Martyn Meade stable. The dam, by Siyouni (Fr), is kin to Prolific (Ire) (Compton Place {GB}) who took this on good-to-firm in 2008. “Obviously it is quite a quick turnaround, but he was a true professional at Newbury,” Freddie said. “It looks a tough renewal, but I think he showed he's entitled to be there and he is a big, strong horse and it is not all about this season. Not many can do what he did first time out and the sectional times were good if you compare them to the Hackwood.”

 

I Spy A Leger Horse?

Goodwood's G3 John Pearce Racing Gordon S. is all about St Leger prospects, with the mile-and-a-half contest attracting Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Espionage (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Last year's G1 Criterium International runner-up was up to near this trip for the first time when making a belated start to the season in Roscommon's Listed Lenebane S. and is on that familiar upward curve that the Rosegreen runners do so well. Also here is The King's last chance of a Classic winner in his inaugural year as owner of the Royal runners, the King George V H.-winning fellow TDN Rising Star Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), while Godolphin's Listed Glasgow S. scorer Chesspiece (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) looks the type to relish the deep ground.

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Goodwood: “I Think He Can Get Even Better.” Sussex At The Mercy Of Paddington

Last year, Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was 1-6 when extending his influence in Goodwood's G1 Qatar Sussex S. and if the forecast heavy rain leads to the withdrawal of Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) it could be that the 2023 edition sees another mortal lock in Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). With the prospect of up to 10mm of overnight rain before strong storm winds hit the area, this is going to be tough going and Cheveley Park Stud's Chris Richardson has not ruled out giving it a miss if the ground deepens too much. “At this point in time, all being well, we'll run,” he said. “Heavy ground wouldn't suit her. We have taken the chance and more rain would suit Paddington probably more perhaps than us. She handles soft ground.”

Even if Inspiral is allowed to square up to Ballydoyle's workaholic colt, it is fair to say that the Gosdens' G1 Fillies' Mile, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine will have her work cut out in this 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in November. At least the father-and-son trainer combination now have a proper marker on him having lost out with Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Eclipse. Easy ground is of no concern to Aidan O'Brien, as it shouldn't be when we are talking about a son of Siyouni out of a Montjeu mare. He had heavy ground in the Madrid and soft in the Tetrarch, so if it gets deep this could be a complete mismatch.

Already a step ahead of Giant's Causeway, who was beaten in the Irish 2000 Guineas, Paddington is staying on the trail of the “Iron Horse” for now and Ryan Moore has a warning for those who try to obstruct him. “I think he can get even better,” he said on his betfair blog. “What this horse has done this season is little short of extraordinary, as he keeps on building and improving with every run. He won on heavy first time up and he has done it on better ground since and I get the impression there is more in the locker, even if his defeat of Emily Upjohn was obviously top-class form in its own right.”

It hasn't been plain sailing for Inspiral since her Coronation rout last June, with surprisingly only one success in her next four starts. On balance, her form is probably short of what is needed to upset Paddington and she has four pounds to give away to him in the bargain. Chris Richardson is aware of the task at hand. “Paddington is a serious horse. He is a bit of a superstar, but we're fresh and he's had a few more races than us,” he said. “We wanted to give her plenty of time after Royal Ascot. France was in the mix, but those races are too close together now and they have had plenty of rain over there.”

 

 

Big Guns Assemble For The Molecomb

Goodwood also stages the G3 Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb S. for 2-year-olds over the rapid five furlongs, where the six-length Listed Dragon S. winner Kylian (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) encounters the three-length Listed Windsor Castle S. scorer Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and the disappointing TDN Rising Stars Purosangue (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}) and Barnwell Boy (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Mick Appleby said of Big Evs, “I think he will be okay on the ground, as long as it doesn't go heavy. You'd think he'd be okay on good-to-soft ground and the dam won on soft ground, so hopefully he should be all right. Obviously we have Kylian to beat. Should all go well, we'll probably go for the [G2] Gimcrack next.”

 

Nassau Battle Is On

Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) have been confirmed for Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Goodwood, with just six due to line up for the 10-furlong feature. They include Shadwell's Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who beat Nashwa in the G3 Hoppings S. at Newcastle last month, and Above The Curve (American Pharoah). John Gosden is relishing bringing the brilliant G1 Falmouth S. winner here for a tilt at back-to-back renewals.

“I think it's a fabulous race and, as in the Eclipse, the King George, and the Sussex S., we get that clash of the generations, which we all want to see. It's very healthy for the generations to meet like that and not duck and dive to avoid each other.”

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