'I love this filly and I don't think we've got to the bottom of her'
It's been a strong Flat season so far for French racing, with their major trophies being kept at home and a steady stream of disappointed raiders being sent home to think again. Now, one of its stars has found her way across the Channel and then a few miles beyond that to see if the Brits are as easy to beat in their own backyard.
Surprisingly enough, there is literally no history of French success in the Nassau. French trainers unquestionably know how to win at Glorious Goodwood, and they have been proficient in carrying off other top-class races for fillies and mares, like the Coronation Stakes and the Sun Chariot. But the Nassau has so far elicited little Gallic excitement.
Anyone who backed Stacelita in 2010 will doubtless still believe there should be one French name on the roll of honour. Alas for them, the stewards didn't see it the same way and allowed Midday to keep the race, despite having delivered a late shove to her rival.
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So the Nassau is perhaps the only European Group 1 in which Japan has a better record than France – until now. Blue Rose Cen is here to defend French honour and, since she's been unbeaten for more than a year and has two Classic successes to her name, she seems sure to make a bold bid.
She represents trainer Christopher Head, a rising force in the game whose name might not yet be that familiar to British punters. His only runner here was Sibila Spain, who was fifth of five in the Falmouth last year. Things can only get better.
"I’m very happy with her," he said. "She’s had a brilliant preparation with no problems. We’re heading to this race with a lot of optimism.
"They went a proper pace in the Prix de Diane and the time was interesting. I think she’s more than capable of running the mile and a quarter at Goodwood, which I expect to be run at a strong pace.
"I love this filly and I still don’t think we’ve got to the bottom of her yet. I have the feeling she could face any challenge, and we will test her over another change of trip later in the season.
"Last year her best performances were on soft ground, and now, at three, she has shown she can do just as well on good ground. We would go to the races with her on any ground."
Nashwa defends her title after career-best performance
It would take a horse of Blue Rose Cen's quality to relegate Nashwa to the status of second favourite here. John and Thady Gosden's star filly not only won this race last year with a remorseless surge up the middle of the track, but she comes here fresh from the best performance of her career, landing the Falmouth Stakes by five lengths.
"Obviously, she won well last time when dropped back to a mile on ground that was probably quite similar to what this will be," said Thady Gosden. "She switched off fine, showed plenty of speed and beat a very solid field well. She won this race last year, so she handles the track well."
It happened to be good to firm at Goodwood that day, very different conditions to today. While Nashwa has winning form with some cut in the ground, she has still to prove whether she can be a strong stayer at a mile and a quarter on soft.
Nashwa: won the Falmouth last time
Punters allowed her to start at 4-1 for the Falmouth, a reflection of the fact she had been unexpectedly collared by Al Husn at Newcastle the previous month. The view from her camp is that she was below form in her first two runs of the year, having also been beaten at Saint-Cloud in May.
"Some fillies take a bit of time to come to themselves," Gosden added, "and she's taken time this year and has improved with every start."
What does he make of the threat posed by Blue Rose Cen. "She's taking on her elders for the first time," he notes, "and obviously that's always a challenge."
What they say
Roger Varian, trainer of Al Husn
Obviously, we beat Nashwa at Newcastle. Then I was very impressed with what Nashwa did at Newmarket in the Falmouth. With the French filly as well, it's not a big field but a tough field. But Al Husn has absolutely earned her place in the line-up. She has six wins from her last seven starts, she's very uncomplicated and she seems to handle most ground. I'm sure she'll run very well. She'd need another step up to win. I think, if I had my wish, I'd have a better surface to race on, but she won a competitive handicap in the autumn at Newmarket on good to soft.
Jack Channon, trainer of Caernarfon
She's come out of Ascot real well and we've had this race in mind for her for a long time. All her preparation's gone very well, her work's been very good. It's a tough one, there's two very, very high-class fillies in there but ours has done nothing wrong. She was very unlucky last time, and you can mark the performance up due to the trip we had. If there's any chinks in the big ones' armour, she's there to make the most of them. We'll see how much rain they get but I think she'll go on it. Having been third in the Oaks, you'd think stamina wouldn't be a problem and she's won on soft. I couldn't be happier with how she is and I've no doubt that she's top class.
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