The Group 1, £200,000 Nassau Stakes is the highlight on the fifth and final
day of Glorious Goodwood on Saturday, and the nearly 10-furlong contest has 18
fillies and mares going forward after Monday’s confirmation stage.
Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute has won the Nassau Stakes six times,
including with the Cheveley Park Stud-owned Russian Rhythm in 2003. The same
owner/trainer combination is responsible this year for Integral, who is set to
make just her third career start against a superb field.
Integral made her debut at Goodwood on May 31, taking a mile maiden in facile
fashion before stepping up to listed level for the mile Distaff at Sandown on
July 6, when she was similarly impressive. The three-year-old daughter of
Dalakhani is out of Echelon, who won the Celebration Mile at Goodwood in 2007.
“Everything has been fine with Integral and at the moment she is an intended
runner in the Nassau Stakes,” Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley
Park Stud, said Monday. “Obviously, it is a very big step up in class and
competition, but there aren’t too many other options so we thought we might
definitely learn something about her by running her at Goodwood.
“We would expect her to get the trip. She was certainly doing her best work
in the final stages and going through horses at the end of her race at Sandown,
so you’d expect her to hopefully handle the step up to 10 furlongs.
“She should be fine with the ground. There is rain forecast but the ground is
good at the moment. It dries quickly at Goodwood so by the time we get to the
end of next week it may be baking again. We will obviously monitor the ground
but at the moment Sir Michael is very happy with her.
“We are optimistic. We threw her slightly in at the deep end in the listed
race at Sandown and she did it. I think Ryan (Moore) has been impressed with her
so we’ll see what happens.”
Also confirmed for the Nassau Stakes are Sky Lantern (Richard Hannon), winner
of both the One Thousand Guineas and the Coronation Stakes this season as well
as Just the Judge (Charlie Hills), who was runner-up to Sky Lantern at Newmarket
before taking the Irish One Thousand Guineas and then finding Sky Lantern too
good again over a mile when third at Royal Ascot.
Classic form is also represented by the Ralph Beckett-trained duo
of Talent and Secret Gesture, the first two fillies home in the 12-furlong Epsom
Oaks.
The older generation includes Godolphin’s Sajjhaa (Saeed bin Suroor), a dual
Group 1 winner in Dubai this year, and Ambivalent (Roger Varian), who recorded
the biggest success of her career last time out in the Pretty Polly Stakes at
the Curragh.
The Fugue, last year’s Nassau winner, was ruled out of a title defense.
Trainer John Gosden reportedly wants to give her more time after her
disappointing effort in the Eclipse Stakes, where she had an excuse with a dirty
scope.
Seamus Buckley, Goodwood’s clerk of the course, issued an update regarding
ground conditions on Monday afternoon.
“We had eight millimeters of rain overnight, which was grand,” Buckley
reported. “The similar amount of rain on Saturday all evaporated on Sunday after
a breezy and dry day.
“Last night’s rain took us back to the situation on Sunday morning and so the
going remains good, with a couple of good to firm places on the round course.
“There were two showers around lunchtime but generally it has been dry and
breezy today.
“The GoingStick reading at 3 p.m. today was 7.9 as against 8.0 on Sunday and
8.7 on Saturday.
“There is forecast be a bit of rain tomorrow (Tuesday), but not as much as
was previously predicted and it should be gone by lunchtime.”
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