The Goodwood Festival is almost upon us and I take a closer look at the Nassau Stakes with the six-day declarations announced.
British Classic winners Forever Together and Billesdon Brook feature among eighteen entries at the six-day declaration stage for the Group 1 feature race on the third day of the festival worth a whopping £600,000.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien has claimed this lucrative prize four times in total as well as the last two years with the fabulous Minding and last year’s heroine Winter. It’s fair to say the Irish trainer normally has a good one lined up for this, and although he may have a strong hand there is no stand out performer in comparison to previous year’s. Magic Wand, Rhododendron and Hydrangea alongside his Epsom Oaks winner Forever Together look the likeliest to focus on; however, it would be extremely interesting if Magical was to take her chance and exploit the weight for age allowance here.
Urban Fox currently heads the market at around 4/1 for trainer William Haggas after an impressive display to hold off Forever Together in the Group 1 Pretty Polly at the Curragh, The filly stepped up in trip for a comfortable win and is a live player if able to build on that effort here. She recorded her best RPR of 115 that day and could have more to offer over this trip, she will need to improve again to give away weight to some unexposed three-year-olds but is one of the more likely types for this contest.
QIPCO 1000 Guineas winner BILLESDON BROOK on the gallops ahead of her Nassau Stakes bid.
📹 @WHR
Billesdon Brook's shock victory at 66/1 in the 1000 Guineas is still fresh in the memory and she will take her chance here for trainer Richard Hannon after finishing a respectable fourth in the Coronation Stakes and Royal Ascot. She was beaten 9 ½ lengths by this years stand out filly in Alpha Centauri, being caught further back than ideal on that occasion she found plenty of trouble turning for home. Although it was unlikely she would have had the pace and class to catch the winner that day, it would be fair to say that performance can be upgraded slightly and she is not to be underestimated here.
Godolphin owned Wild Illusion looks to have an uphill task on the formbook unless this drop back in trip can play to her strengths. She has four lengths to find with the Epsom Oaks winner Forever Together, and although that was on soft ground she had no excuses when finishing a similar distance behind Magic Wand in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot on the quicker going. Stepping back to 1m2f could be the key to unlocking further improvement, but will need to do so if she is to trouble the market principals.
The one this step down in distance will not likely to suit is Forever Together, her win at Epsom came over the 1m4f trip and she has only found the exciting Sea Of Class a neck too good at that distance in her two attempts. However, she has been found wanting for a turn of foot over this trip and is starting to look slightly exposed at 1m2f.
Certainly, an exciting race to look forward to and many punters will be eagerly anticipating the final declaration stage, in a race which is made up with many Aidan O’Brien-trained fillies currently, he looks to hold all the aces at this stage in time. The choice of stable number one jockey Ryan Moore will put many people on high alert, he was onboard the last two winners of this race and will likely have his pick of the entries.
