Lady Bowthorpe, a vastly troubled fourth last out in the Falmouth Stakes last out, validated her connections’ confidence she’d stay a mile and a quarter by notching the first Group 1 victory of her career in the Nassau Stakes on Friday at Goodwood.
It was also a first Group 1 for jockey Kieran Shoemark, who gave Lady Bowthorpe a fine, second-over trip in the Nassau.
Beau Rossa went from a win in the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes at Morphettville Racecourse in Australia on May 1 to a 10th-place finish in a field of 11 in the Group 1 Goodwood Stakes at six furlongs at the same venue on May 15.
The Group 1 sprint was too tough for Beau Rossa, who is back against a reasonable level of competition in Saturday’s $73,940 Lightning Stakes at 5 1/4 furlongs at Morphettville.
Alcohol Free outfinished heavily favored Poetic Flare and won the Group 1 Sussex Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on Wednesday at Goodwood Racecourse in England.
Alcohol Free, a 3-year-old filly getting 11 pounds from older male rivals and three pounds from 3-year-old Poetic Flare, appears to relish testing course conditions and got them Wednesday.
There was less than a half-length between Great Diviner and Zoist in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs on the infield Parks course at Morphettville Racecourse in Australia on July 17. Another close finish is possible when the pair meet again in a seven-furlong handicap at the same venue on Friday.
Great Diviner took the lead in the final furlong of the July 17 race and held off Zoist, who raced wide throughout. Zoist could have an advantage in the rematch.
Audarya’s shine might’ve lost a little bit of its gloss when Love finished a soundly beaten third Saturday in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but Audarya still looks strong Thursday at Goodwood in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes.
With just two races of experience, the 3-year-old Agrum is already a top weight in everyday handicaps so common in Australian racing.
Thursday at Wyong Racecourse, Agrum and the longshot Gidgee Guy will both carry 131 pounds. The 3-year-old filly Ready to Soar was assigned top weight of 133 pounds, but the presence of apprentice jockey Ellen Hennessy reduces the assignment to 126.7 pounds.
The Sussex Stakes annually marks the conjoining of top older milers and rising 3-year-olds, but that will not be the case in Wednesday’s renewal of the Goodwood fixture.
Poetic Flare, the 3-year-old with plenty of flare to his game, is set to start in the one-mile Sussex but top older miler Palace Pier, unbeaten in three starts this season and an imperious winner of the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, was ruled out of the Sussex several days ago after blood tests suggested he was not at his best.
In 2019, Shuffle Up was good enough to finish second in a Group 3 at a mile in Australia. This year, the focus is on longer races, such as a first-ever attempt at 1 1/2 miles in a handicap on the Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Wednesday.
Shuffle Up has won 2 of 12 starts and has essentially had two careers. A 5-year-old gelding, Shuffle Up won races at 6 1/2 furlongs and a mile in 2019, but did not start for 25 months after finishing second in the Group 3 Carbine Stakes at a mile on the main turf course at Randwick in April 2019.
The comeback of the promising February maiden race winner Princess Amira highlights a seven-race program at Scone Racecourse in Australia on Monday.
Princess Amira, trained by the prominent Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott partnership, will have her debut against winners in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs. A 3-year-old filly by Written Tycoon, Princess Amira won her second career start by a little more than three-quarters of a length as the even-money choice against maidens at seven furlongs at Goulburn Racecourse on Feb. 7.
Super Yulong will have a much-needed drop in class for his second start of 2021, which comes in a handicap at about seven furlongs at Sale Racecourse in Australia on Sunday.
Last year, Super Yulong was fourth in the Taj Rossi Series Final Stakes at Flemington and third and second in two tough handicaps in November and December. He lost those races by a combined 1 3/4 lengths.
