BIG RACE PREVIEW: The Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on Thursday looks set to be a cracker, with Joan Of Arc heading the field.
The Nassau Stakes has become a race where the classic generation has thrived. Seven of the last ten winners of the race have been three-year-olds and this particular age group is strongly represented again this year.
Joan Of Arc was just touched off by Empress Josephine in the Irish 1000 Guineas in May and has since gone on to land the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly. She still looked very green and inexperienced in that particular race and she took the length of the straight to get properly organised and to get on top. She also appeared to be looking around a little once hitting the front and this suggests that there may still be much more to come from the daughter of Galileo.
The betting suggested that it was a little bit of a surprise when Empress Josephine headed Joan Of Arc on the line in the Irish Guineas and she has since run a fairly moderate race in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Being a full sister to Minding, she should appreciate the step up to 10 furlongs here and given Frankie Dettori’s record with Ballydoyle second string horses, she cannot be discounted at all. The question is can she prove that the Guineas win wasn’t a one-off?
Only a head separated Zeyaadah and Technique up at Newcastle recently but one got the feeling that Zeyaadah had quite a bit up her sleeve having been delivered beautifully by Jim Crowley to mow down Technique near the line. She should confirm the form but whether she is good enough to shake up the other three-year-olds is a big question.
The race is completed by a couple of top class five-year-old mares in Audarya and Lady Bowthorpe. Audarya is a proper Group 1 performer and having put together a string of fine performances last season she rounded off the campaign with victory in the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in November. She ran right up to that level on her return at Royal Ascot in June when chasing home Love in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. She will enjoy the underfoot conditions and she is a big player. Lady Bowthorpe is just so tough and genuine and she deserves to land a Group 1 prize. After chasing home Palace Pier in the Lockinge Stakes in May, she was then beaten at Royal Ascot before being a little unlucky in the run when fourth in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket three weeks ago. She has her chance but she may just come up short again.
And so on official figures Joan Of Arc comes out as 3lb the best horse in the race and this may just tilt the scales in her favour. Add to this the very good record of three-year-olds in the race and she rates the selection.
Suggestion: Joan Of Arc
Alternative: Audarya
