There are seven older fillies and mares entered in the Nassau Stakes on Saturday, closing day of the Glorious Goodwood meet in England, and whichever one comes out on top will be winning for the first time at the Group 1 level.
Having already established himself as the best 3-year-old miler in Europe, Kingman staked his claim Wednesday to being the best European miler, period, defeating high-class 4-year-old Toronado by one length at Goodwood in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes.
Fresh off a major triumph Saturday in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, trainer John Gosden goes for another with Kingman in the Group 1 Sussex on Wednesday at Goodwood in England.
Taghrooda made history Saturday at Ascot, becoming only the third 3-year-old filly to win the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the race’s 63-year history.
Another horse has tested positive for morphine in England, according to the Racing Post, and Michael Stoute, who trains a horse for Queen Elizabeth II that tested positive, has revealed that a second horse in his stable also tested positive for the drug.
Telescope, a 4-year-old who never has started in a Group 1 race, is the favorite for one of the most prestigious races in England, the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday at Ascot.
The 3-year-old filly Bracelet is beginning to live up to the lofty reputation established by her family. Her fourth win from six starts produced her first success at the Group 1 level as Bracelet scored a narrow victory over Tapestry and Volume in the Irish Oaks on Saturday at the Curragh.
Taghrooda would have been heavily favored in the Irish Oaks after a sharp last-start win in the Epsom Oaks, but the John Gosden-trained, Hamdan al Maktoum-owned filly was taken out of Irish Oaks consideration to instead test older males in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 26 at Ascot. It perhaps is no coincidence that Sheikh Hamdan still has the ante-post Irish Oaks favorite, a Dermot Weld-trained filly named Tarfasha.
Irish trainer Edward Lynam has the very good sprinter Sole Power for five-furlong fast-ground races, but when rain softened the Newmarket course for Saturday’s Group 1 July Cup over six furlongs, Lynam scratched the horse. Fortunately for Lynam, he has an even better six-furlong sprinter who comfortably handles soft going, and Slade Power blew away his rivals in the July Cup.
The Grey Gatsby and Prince Gibraltar, the first and third finishers of the Group 1 French Derby on June 1, lead a field of 11 in Sunday’s $816,480 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp Racecourse.
