Alpha Centauri impresses again in Falmouth Stakes

Alpha Centauri assailed them at Ascot last month and kneecapped them at Newmarket on Friday.

The 3-year-old filly’s star has risen fast and risen high and she now ranks among the most exciting racehorses in Europe after winning the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths.

Alpha Centauri won the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas on May 27, her first victory at the highest level, like a horse with better things just over the horizon – and boy has that proved true. Racing one mile around a bend facing 3-year-olds in the one-mile Coronation Stakes at Ascot, Alpha Centauri powered to a six-length win. Friday, she ran a straight-course mile in a race populated by both four other 3-year-olds and two older horses – and the result was much the same.

Always prominent near the stands-side rail under Colm O’Donoghue, Alpha Centauri was ridden like the best horse in the race, pushing out to lead with a little less than a half-mile to run and easily outfinishing her rivals from there. Clemmie, the Aidan O’Brien-trained second choice, tried to run with her from a position nearer the center of the track but was left behind with a quarter-mile to run and was passed for second by Altyn Orda.

Neither was nearly as good as Alpha Centauri, who clocked 1:37.45 and paid just $2.60 to win on the North American pari-mutuel market.

Alpha Centauri is a massive gray filly by Mastercraftsman out of Alpha Lupi, by Rahy, who was bred and is owned by the Niarchos family and is trained in Ireland by Jessica Harrington.

Soft ground doesn’t suit her at all, but on a firmer course like the one she found Friday the filly appears to be a world-class miler. And great news for American fans – her connections said that following a near-term goal of the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois, Alpha Centauri will be aimed for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs this fall.