Europe: Saffron Beach bids for repeat in Sun Chariot

Saffron Beach and Homeless Songs, second and fourth, respectively, in the Group 1 Matron Stakes on Sept. 10 at Leopardstown, clearly head the early betting market for the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes on Saturday at Newmarket Racecourse in England.

Saffron Beach’s connections long have had Breeders’ Cup designs – presumably the Mile over the Filly and Mare Turf – but are keeping their 4-year-old filly busy late this summer and early fall. Saffron Beach is back in action just four weeks after the Matron and is narrowly favored as of Thursday over 3-year-old Homeless Songs, who gets three pounds from her elders.

Saffron Beach’s first Group 1 win came in the 2021 Sun Chariot, which she won by three lengths in a breakout performance. The filly began her season with a fine fourth going nine furlongs in the Dubai Turf, and after returning to Europe won the Duke of Cambridge over one mile at the Royal Ascot meet, and was much the best Aug. 2 in the Prix Rothschild, a straight-course Group 1 mile at Deauville. Saffron Beach didn’t run poorly at all in the Matron, but Pearls Galore seized an early lead in that one-turn mile and never came back to the field, winning off by three lengths.

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Left in her wake was Homeless Songs, who wound up the 5-4 Matron favorite despite making her first start since May 22 in the Irish 1000 Guineas. In that race, her second start at age 3, Homeless Songs looked like an absolute star, beating subsequent Epsom Oaks winner Tuesday by 5 1/2 lengths, but Homeless Songs just went one-paced through the Matron’s final quarter-mile and was beaten more than five lengths. She could easily improve second time out, but the soft ground Homeless Songs found in Ireland might better suit her than the good going forecast Saturday at Newmarket.

Prosperous Voyage was a flat sixth in France when last seen racing Aug. 14 in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, but she is a much better filly than that at her best and has a demonstrated fondness for Newmarket racing.

Co-trainers John and Thady Gosden entered two, Grand Dame and Laurel, the latter supplemented into the Sun Chariot, just the third start of Laurel’s career. The Juddmonte homebred 3-year-old won her career debut July 29 racing over the summer course at Newmarket, rather than the Rowley Mile utilized for the Sun Chariot, and on Sept. 21 was a comfortable Kempton Park all-weather winner in what now has the look of a prep for Saturday’s massive class hike.

Group stakes at Longchamp

At Longchamp, stayers take the spotlight the day before the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with Kyprios leading the field in the 2 1/2-mile Group 1 Prix du Cadran. Four-year-old Kyprios, trained by Aidan O’Brien, enters on a three-race Group 1 winning streak that began in the 2 1/2-mile Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Kyprios won the Irish St. Leger last out going 1 3/4 miles over a yielding course, but on Saturday starts over going that will be soft, at best, and will pose a new challenge. Quickthorn, Tashkan, and Skazino looks like the primary competition.

Verry Elleegant races Saturday in the Group 1 Prix Royallieu over 1 3/4 miles after being unable to make the field for the Arc, capped at 20 runners. The Arc was Verry Elleegant's intended target when her owners moved her to Europe this summer from Australia. Verry Elleegant is a nine-time Group 1 winner in Australia, where she captured the two-mile Melbourne Cup last fall. The mare raced poorly in her French debut this summer before improving to finish a modest third Sept. 11 in the Group 2 Prix Foy. Verry Elleegant thrives on soft ground but meets worthy opposition in Sea la Rosa and 3-year-old Emily Dickinson, who gets seven pounds from the older fillies and mares.

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