Nashwa’s chances of retaining her Nassau Stakes crown may come down to whether or not she gets the better of Blue Rose Cen at Goodwood on Thursday.
The 1 mile 2 furlong Group 1 for fillies and mares is one of the highlights of the Glorious Goodwood Festival; last year Nashwa went off favourite and beat Aristia by just under two lengths.
Since then John & Thady Gosden’s four-year-old failed to win four times when going off as favourite, including the Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp and the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland. Finally, when not handed the favourite’s tag, she won the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket last time out.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: August 2nd, 3:30 P.M. (BST)
It may be a good omen, under regular jockey Hollie Doyle, that she is not at the top of the market but instead the 2.87 second favourite with William Hill.
Favouritism falls on Blue Rose Cen, currently at 1.90 and trained by Christopher Head. The three-year-old has triumphed in seven of her nine career races, including all of her last five.
She had never run over a mile until June when she took on a 15-strong field in the 1m2½f Group 1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly and won by four lengths. Regular rider Aurelien Lemaitre will be on board for her first run in Britain.
Roger Varian’s Al Husn is the best of the rest at 10.00; she got the better of Nashwa on the all-weather at Newcastle on her last run at the end of June. This will be her first test at Group 1 level but under Jim Crowley, her connections should have nothing to fear.
Joseph O’Brien trains Above The Curve who is currently 11.00 but could well be shorter by tomorrow, especially as jockey Ryan Moore has won this race three times in the last seven years. Third last time in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh, she has won two Group 2s and a Group 1 for three-year-olds in May last year.
But she occasionally puts in a poor run, such as this May when last in a Group 2, also at the Curragh.
At 17.00 is Caernarfon, the mount of Connor Beasley. Without a win since to Jack Channon’s yard, she was sixth of sixteen in a Group 3 at Royal Ascot last time but was an impressive third in the Oaks before that.
Tom Marquand rides 34.00 shot Never Ending Story for Aidan O’Brien. Second to Blue Rose Cen in the Prix de Diane, she ran poorly in both runs since.
