Terebellum back with females in Falmouth Stakes

Four-year-old filly Terebellum nearly won the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes last month facing a tougher older male, so she figures to be formidable Friday at Newmarket facing her own sex in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes.

Terebellum is priced accordingly, offered as a general 11-8 favorite by British bookmakers as of Thursday in the Falmouth, contested over a straight mile.

In the Queen Anne, a straight mile at Royal Ascot, Terebellum looked like a winner when she surged to the lead an eighth of a mile from the finish, but favored Circus Maximus came back after being passed and nipped her on the wire. It was a tough loss but showed Terebellum as one of the better older fillies or mares in Europe this year. John Gosden, who trains her for Godolphin, raced Terebellum over 1 1/4 miles in the first five starts of her career before cutting her back to good effect in the Queen Anne. The filly, a Group 2 winner last year in France, appears to be distance-versatile, and with only six starts behind her, two this year, she remains a horse with upside. Frankie Dettori rides the daughter of Sea the Stars and Marvada, by Elusive City.

Six others, a disparate group, are entered in the Falmouth. Magic Wand, who is made of iron, just raced Sunday, finishing a commendable fourth behind victorious Ghaiyyath in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes over 1 1/4 miles. Magic Wand, who has traveled the world, made 12 starts in four continents during 2019 and already this year has raced in America, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and England. What she has not done since her career debut during the fall of 2017 is start at a trip as short as one mile.

One Master comes from the other direction, stretching back out to one mile following four sprint starts. She’s been effective at the distance in the past, including a close second in the 2019 renewal of the Falmouth.

Gosden’s second runner, Nazeef, holds an upset chance as well, coming into this start on a four-race winning streak. Nazeef won the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes over a one-turn mile at Ascot last out and makes her Group 1 debut Friday.

Post time for the Falmouth is 11:10 a.m. Eastern on a card that starts at 7:10. You can watch and wager at DRBets.com.