'Goldrun' at right distance

Alexander Goldrun returns to her best distance of 1 1/4 miles for the $350,000 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday, when she goes in search of her fourth Group 1 victory in her fourth different country.

Trained by Jim Bolger, Alexander Goldrun won the Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp and the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin last year. An Irish-bred daughter of Gold Away, she added the Pretty Polly Stakes on her home turf at The Curragh on June 25 to her list of accomplishments.

She came up a bit short on her most recent trip to England, when she was 2 1/2 lengths second to Soviet Song over a mile in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on July 5. Back at her favorite distance with Kevin Manning aboard, Alexander Goldrun should hold sway on the road to a possible start in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and a repeat effort against males in the Hong Kong Cup.

The challenge may come from Something Exciting, one of nine 3-year-olds in the field. Winner of the listed Lupe Stakes over the Nassau course and distance in May, Something Exciting was subsequently second to Eswarah in the English Oaks. Her trainer, David Elsworth, is doing well of late, as his Norse Dancer was second in last Saturday's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, while The Geezer won the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on Tuesday.