Sultanina scores for Gosden in Nassau Stakes

Sultanina ran down Narniyn to win the Group 1 Nassau Stakes on Saturday at Goodwood, and no surprise: John Gosden trains her.

Gosden won the Nassau for the third year in a row, Sultanina’s victory following wins by Winsili and The Fugue. And Gosden also won his third Group 1 in a week, the Nassau coming on the heels of Taghrooda’s score in the King George last Saturday at Ascot and Kingman’s win in the Sussex on Wednesday at Goodwood.

Sultanina does not appear to have the elite attributes of that pair, and she benefited from landing in a subpar renewal of the Nassau, but the 3-year-old Sultanina has done little wrong in her four-start career.

A New Approach filly bred and owned by Normandie Stud, Sultanina was unraced at 2, made a winning debut at Salisbury in May, and proceeded to win a Group 3 and finish second in a Group 2 at Haydock. Her stakes runs came in 1 1/2-mile races, and Sultanina’s stamina served her well in Saturday’s test over about 1 1/4 miles.

Venus de Milo made the pace in the Nassau, but as she turned for home with more than a quarter-mile to run, she left the rail open for Narniyn and Christophe Soumillon, who took the initiative, going through the gap to seize control. Heavily bet into favoritism not long before the race went off, Narniyn, a French shipper, opened a clear lead and appeared to be on her way to victory, but Soumillon might have gone too soon, and with a furlong left to run, Sultanina began cutting seriously into her lead.

Narniyn could find no more over the final 100 yards, and Sultanina pushed past to win by 1 1/2 lengths going away. Venus de Milo held third as the winner stopped the timer in 2:06.58 over good-to-firm going.

Gosden said afterward that Sultanina might not start again until the Champions Day card at Ascot in October.