Mother Earth returns to scene of Guineas triumph in Falmouth Stakes
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Mother Earth returns to the scene of her English 1000 Guineas win Friday when she starts in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes.
The Falmouth, a straight-course mile, marks the first fairly important sex-restricted race in England where 3-year-olds tackle their elders, and eight members of the sophomore set face five older horses, the older fillies and mares giving nine pounds to their younger rivals.
Mother Earth beat 10 rivals May 2 in the 1000 Guineas, run on Newmarket’s Rowley Course, while Friday’s races are contested on the July Course, which was rated good to firm as of Wednesday. That was the course designation when Mother Earth won her Guineas, after which she finished second on very soft ground in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, France’s 1000 Guineas, and third over a heavy course in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. A return to firmer footing might serve Mother Earth well, while several of her chief rivals have done recent good work over softer courses.
That includes early favorite Alcohol Free, who won the Coronation after finishing fifth in the Guineas. Alcohol Free did notch a nice Newmarket win this past September going a straight six furlongs in the Group 1 Cheveley Park. Snow Lantern was second in the Coronation and has come in for Falmouth support but lacks strong credentials to validate her win candidacy, having easily been beaten by fellow Falmouth runner Primo Bacio on May 4 in a listed race at York.
Five-year-old Lady Bowthorpe handles a variety of conditions and before a solid second in the Duke of Cambridge at Ascot, she’d been second to Europe’s top miler, Palace Pier, in the Group 1 J.T. Lockinge Stakes, but giving nine pounds is a lot to ask of a mare who, at best, might hold a marginal edge.
Two more 3-year-olds merit some attention. Saffron Beach failed to stay 1 1/2 miles in the Oaks at Epsom last out but previously was second to Mother Earth in the Guineas, while Pretty Gorgeous, one of the top Irish 2-year-old fillies of 2020, has caught heavy ground in her two starts this season and would be much more comfortable on good-to-firm.
Post time for the Falmouth is 10:35 a.m. Eastern. You can catch all the action at DRFBets.com.