One Master seeks first win of year in Falmouth Stakes

One Master, fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs last November and winless in two starts this year, is expected to be a slight favorite in Friday’s Group 1 Falmouth Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile at Newmarket Racecourse in England.

One Master is part of a talented team trained by William Haggas for the Falmouth Stakes. The stable also runs Beshaayir, the winner of the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile at The Curragh in Ireland on May 25.

One Master was fifth in the Lanwades Stakes in her first start of the year and later third against males in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 18. One Master won the Group 1 Prix de la Foret at seven furlongs against males at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris last October.

The $250,000 Falmouth Stakes drew a field of six, including I Can Fly, who was 12th in the 2018 BC Mile at Churchill Downs and third in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 19, and Qabala, who was third in the Group 1 English 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies at Newmarket on May 5 but only ninth in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh three weeks later.

The Falmouth Stakes will be Qabala’s first start against older fillies and mares and her fifth career race.

The Falmouth Stakes is run on Newmarket’s July course, which does not have as significant of an uphill finish as the Rowley Mile course used for a majority of the track’s meetings. The two tracks have separate grandstands, have one-mile straight courses and share part of the same track for longer races.

Earlier on Friday’s program, Daahyeh can extend her unbeaten streak to three races in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Trained by Roger Varian, Daahyeh won her stakes debut in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at five furlongs at Royal Ascot on June 21.