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Nassau Anchors Goodwood Festival on Thursday

It is the turn of the fillies and mares on Thursday, with the G1 Qatar Nassau S. headlining a fascinating third day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. It features a clash between two fillies whose limits are far from set at present, with Shadwell’s Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) taking on the year-younger Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The former steps up from a mile for the first time, having captured the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot June 16 and G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket July 10 in the manner of a filly that will improve for a step up to this 10-furlong trip. Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s racing manager Angus Gold said, “She’s been an absolute star this year–it’s lovely to see her not only fulfil the potential, but exceed what we hoped. We were hoping to make her a stakes winner and it’s been a real thrill. Stepping up in trip now will be interesting, but everyone who has ridden her has always felt she would get it. Obviously you never know for sure until they try, but I’m very hopeful she will stay it–the way she has always finished off her races.”

Fancy Blue was runner-up to Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh June 13 prior to outbattling Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and that rival in Chantilly’s G1 Prix de Diane over 10 1/2 furlongs July 5. While there were four fillies involved in a blanket finish to that Classic, it looked every bit a top-class renewal and trainer Donnacha O’Brien is in accord. “In a tight finish between four horses you can usually mark it down a bit, but they were definitely the right horses involved that day and they pulled clear of the rest of the field, so it looks like very strong form,” he said. “Fancy Blue is very genuine, tries hard and takes her work well,” he added. “She’s a very uncomplicated and talented filly who relaxes and is able to quicken. She gets a mile and a quarter very well and is closely related to High Chaparral, so there’s plenty of stamina in her pedigree and she will probably get a mile and a half in time. There are a great bunch of fillies around at the moment,” Donnacha added. “Among the 3-year-olds you have Love, who looks special, and then of course you’ve got Enable and Magical and a few of the those turning up at Goodwood this week, including ours.”

Last year’s winner Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) comes back with identical race conditions to suit, but possibly faces tougher opposition and has to reverse the form of the G1 Eclipse S. with the similarly-accomplished international mare Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), having finished 1 1/4 lengths behind that Ballydoyle rival when fifth in the July 5 Sandown feature. Oisin Murphy is again on board and commented, “I think she has improved since her last race and August is always her favourite season. We tried the Eclipse, because Sandown has a long straight and with the COVID situation it has been a little bit tricky to train the horses. We found there that she might struggle with the uphill, now we are heading to the Nassau S. with the long straight and flat course. We understand the great importance of the race, we have seen Midday win three times and we are the only horse to have a chance to win twice in a row.”

Aidan O’Brien has booked Frankie Dettori for Magic Wand, who was electric when taking the Curragh’s G2 Lanwades Stud S., or Ridgewood Pearl, over a mile June 13. “She’s a lovely filly who takes everything in her stride and this looks a nice race for her in the middle of the summer,” the Ballydoyle handler said. “She’s very straightforward and we’re very happy with her.”

Earlier on the card, the G2 Qatar Richmond S. and G2 John Pearce Racing Gordon S. provide ideal build-up to the main event with the Gordon seeing the first post-Derby run of Bjorn Nielsen’s English King (GB) (Camelot {GB}). A lot went against the Ed Walker trainee when fifth in Epsom’s July 4 blue riband, but his ability to handle difficult terrain is well and truly proven having won the June 5 Listed Lingfield Derby Trial and he has quickening ground conditions to aid his cause further. “He’s in great form. The ground should suit, he should handle the track and he hasn’t missed a beat since Epsom,” Walker said. “We will see how it goes at Goodwood, but we would be hoping to go for something like the [G1] Grand Prix de Paris. It is shaping into a great race, but everything seems to be this year because it has all been condensed. Hopefully he can prove to us he deserves to take on the best, but we will certainly learn a bit more this week.”

Re-opposing English King is Ahmad Al Shaikh’s Khalifa Sat (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}), who was closest to Epsom’s runaway winner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) when 5 1/2 lengths adrift and he has course form having won the Listed Cocked Hat S. over 11 furlongs June 14. “The course and the drying ground should suit him and all being well, a reproduction of his Epsom form should give him every chance,” trainer Andrew Balding said. Also coming back from the Derby is ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mogul (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was sixth behind his ebullient stablemate with Ryan Moore picking him. Aidan O’Brien said, “He seems to have come out of the Derby well and we’ve been very happy with him since. He’s a big, strong, powerful horse who is made like a miler and he’s not the easiest to get fit. He carries weight and we’re just trying to get it off him. We think racing is going to bring out the best in him. We think he gets a mile and a half, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we have to go back in trip.”

In the Richmond, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum’s Yazaman (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) is for once without The Queen’s Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) for company and looks for compensation for two runner-up efforts behind that peer in the five-furlong Listed Windsor Castle S. June 17 and G2 July S. over this six-furlong trip at Newmarket July 9. Fourth in the July was Shadwell’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Qaader (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), who had previously finished runner-up in Royal Ascot’s G2 Coventry S. June 20 when another TDN Rising Star Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) was only eighth as the 5-2 favourite.

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Joint Toppers at Doncaster Day 2

Two 3-year-old gelding stores, by Diamond Boy (Fr) and Soldier of Fortune (Ire), respectively, both brought £80,000 in consecutive lots to top the Goffs UK Summer Sale at Doncaster on Tuesday. Lot 25, named Boy Adely (Fr) and consigned by Lakefield Farm, was snapped up by Twiston-Davies Equine to briefly hold sole topper honours. His dam is a Bering (GB) half-sister to MGSP hurdler Monsieur Lecoq (Fr) (Diamond Boy {Fr}).

The next lot in the ring, lot 26, from Ballincurrig House Stud, equaled that price on the bid of Shaun Brookhouse. A grandson of the listed hurdler Afarka (Ire) (Flemensfirth), the bay is out of a half-sister to Grade 2 hurdle winner Younevercall (Ire) (Yeats {Ire}).

A filly consigned by Battlefield Stud and purchased by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock was both the priciest of her sex and the second dearest lot overall at £70,000. Lot 35, by Midnight Legend (GB) and out of the listed hurdle winner Annie’s Answer (Ire) (Flemensfirth) is from the same family as fellow listed jumps winners Basilea (Ire) (Strong Gale {Ire}) and Grand Slam Hero (Ire) (Anshan {GB}).

After Monday’s Supplementary Store session, Tuesday’s Spring Store session grossed £3,535,000 for 145 sold from 192 offered (75.5%). The average settled at £24,379 and the median was £20,000.

The sale concludes with a session of stores, horses-in-training and point-to-pointers beginning at 10 a.m.

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A Sussex to Savour on Wednesday

With the delayed 2020 turf season now enjoying some kind of equilibrium, the pick of the season’s milers line up for one of the first category-defining moments in Wednesday’s G1 Qatar Sussex S. Of the older brigade, last year’s G1 St James’s Palace S. and G1 Prix du Moulin hero Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is an outsider if the betting is to believed at present despite returning to add the June 16 G1 Queen Anne S. to his tally. Out of luck in the Queen Anne but highly impressive in Ascot’s G2 Summer Mile July 11, Shadwell’s Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) has put himself front and centre, while the 3-year-olds include the 2000 Guineas heroes Siskin (First Defence) and Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) and the promising Vatican City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). This is a far cry from some of the weaker editions of recent times and puts the Goodwood feature back on centre stage where it belongs.

With no pacemaker in the field, it is likely that one of Ballydoyle’s Circus Maximus and Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never) and possibly both will go forward from the outset. The former is used to forcing a battle, having denied Terebellum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in a thriller at the Royal meeting last time, and his best chance will be to try and engage some way out and draw the sting from the likes of Siskin and Mohaather. Kameko, who stayed on past Wichita to take the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket June 6, is another who will probably not be ridden for pace in what is a fascinating tactical conundrum.

Kameko’s trainer Andrew Balding has no fears about any lasting effects of his effort when fourth in the July 4 G1 Epsom Derby and has spoken about the constitution of Qatar Racing’s flagbearer on several occasions. Being that this provides an automatic entry into the GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile, connections are keen to place a flag in that particular territory. “He won a Guineas over a mile, so it was always the intention to come back down in trip after the Derby,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it and I couldn’t be happier with him. It’s a very strong field, as it should be for one of the championship races of the summer.”

Oisin Murphy has the responsibility of weighing up tactics, but there are very few among his profession better-placed than him to do so. “I’m drawn in stall two next to Siskin, with Mohaather near in four as well. Circus Maximus normally goes forward and Aidan O’Brien could have the first three ‘in the run’ with Wichita normally forwardly-placed and Vatican City a strong stayer at the trip,” he summarised in his pre-race analysis. “This time of year is a good time to take on the older horses, given the weight allowance, and we’ll see what happens.”

Mohaather proved when beating San Donato (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by 3 3/4 lengths in the Summer Mile that he stays a mile well and has retained all the class that trainer Marcus Tregoning hoped he would despite setbacks along the way. He is awaiting the contest with relish. “It’s not a biggish field and hopefully he’ll run very well,” he said. “In all honesty, it was quite an easy race for him [at Ascot], as it turned out. He cantered the next day and we’ve been happy with him since. It’s a tough order, but I don’t think we could have Mohaather any better and he deserves a crack at it. I don’t see why he won’t handle the track, because he’s a neat horse who travels well and has plenty of speed. Hopefully he’s going to run a big race.”

Khalid Abdullah’s Siskin answered his own doubters when taking the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh June 12 and he had 1 3/4 lengths to spare over Vatican City on that occasion. As the only unbeaten runner in the race, another first to his name will see him enter cherished company and trainer Ger Lyons can only wait and watch now. “On ratings we have to improve, it’s as simple as that–we think he has, but we won’t know until he runs,” he said. “He has to improve to even get close to some of these horses. He is working well at home, but he does need to improve. I think he’ll cope with the track, because he’s pretty straightforward. He’s a very professional horse and if he gets beat it’s because he’s not good enough.”

Aidan O’Brien’s trio are outside the first three in the market, positions not normally customary for representatives of Ballydoyle, and all are there on merit. Of Vatican City, he said, “The Irish Guineas was a funnily-run race–it just became a bit of a mess. It was a little bit of a non-event for Vatican City, who was also having his first run of the year after two very soft runs last year. He’s been to Epsom since and ran respectably, even though he didn’t stay. We think going back to a mile will suit him much better.”

“Circus Maximus will only ever just win–Ryan will tell you, that’s the way he is,” he added. “He’s a very solid miler and a very tough but lazy horse. At home he’d do the same thing, no matter what you work with him, so we don’t really know what his limit is. Wichita is really maturing and he’s a massive horse, so with every month that goes by he’s progressing. Hopefully they’ll all run well. Everyone wants to see the best horses in the race, as it means a lot more to a horse if they win it. It’s exciting that they’re all there and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Even San Donato cannot be discounted, as he was running for the first time since finishing third in the 2019 G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains last May when chasing home Mohaather at Ascot. “It’s been jolly frustrating that he’s only run twice in the last 20 months, but they’ve been two very good runs,” trainer Roger Varian said. “The winner won well at Ascot that day, but I was delighted with my guy–I thought it was a very good run against some solid group two opposition and I do anticipate him coming forward from that run.”

Goodwood’s only other black-type event is the G3 Markel Insurance Molecomb S., in which Michael O’Callaghan pitches the impressive July 22 Naas maiden scorer Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}). He encounters Amo Racing Limited’s June 20 G2 Queen Mary S. fourth and July 9 Listed Marygate Fillies’ S. scorer Sardinia Sunset (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) and several other fast and precocious types as he travels across the Irish sea. “He came out of Naas well and it was just like a piece of work for him really–it was no more than a half-speed and he quickened up very well,” O’Callaghan commented. “We’ve always thought a lot of him at home, so it was no surprise to see him win the way he did. I think he could be very, very good. He’s a very fast horse and he should he take a bit of beating, I hope.”

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Return to School Grants to Be Provided by Racing Welfare

Return to School grants to racing industry families will be provided by Racing Welfare. Applications are being accepted from July 28, with funding from the John Pearce Foundation and The Racing Foundation. At £100 per child, up to four children per family may receive a grant, with the grants available to anyone currently working in the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry who has dependent school age children (4-18 years) and meets eligibility criteria.

For more information on eligibility and the grants, please go to www.racingwelfare.co.uk.

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