One of the most popular of the fabulous five days of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, today is Ladies’ Day, where the prestigious Gr1 Qatar Nassau Stakes is the highlight on the eight-race card.
Aptly the feature race is the Qatar Nassau Stakes (16h35) for fillies and mares, run over 10-furlongs. With rain about, this Group 1 contest is forecast to be run on soft ground.
Six fillies contest the £340 260 first prize and the three-year-old French raider Blue Rose Cen gets the vote to deny defending champion Nashwa.
Unbeaten in three starts – Blue Rose Cen could be the one to follow today
Christopher Head’s Churchill filly is unbeaten in three starts this season winning the Gr1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Fillies Guineas) before stepping up to an extended 10-furlongs to win the Gr1 Prix de Diane Longines easily by 4-lengths.
All her six victories have been on soft or heavy ground, and she receives an 8lb age allowance from the Gosden trained Nashwa.
Hollie Doyle and Nashwa were 5-lengths to good for Remarquee over a mile in the Falmouth at Newmarket in mid-July and this top-class filly has every chance but may struggle to concede weight and start to a very smart 3-year-old on uneasy ground.
Thirty-five minutes earlier, six go to the one and a half mile start for the Gr3 Gordon Stakes (16h00). Aidan O’Brien raids with the unexposed Galileo colt Espionage with Ryan Moore retaining the ride. A comfortable winner in Ireland on soft ground last month, he looks the one to beat, officially rated 6lb higher than the next two in the field – the Godolphin owned Chesspiece and another Galileo colt Artistic Star.
The latter looks the biggest threat. Short of room two furlongs out when seventh in the Derby, he then ran a commendable third to King Of Steel in the King Edward VII Stakes at the royal meeting.
Highfield Princess tops the boards for Friday
Friday, day 4 at Goodwood is headlined by the sprinters with the running of the Gr2 King George Qatar Stakes.
A large field of fourteen will hurtle down the straight five at 16h35 and John Quinn’s champion 6-year-old mare Highfield Princess heads the market.
At least 10lb better off with the field, her short-head defeat to Bradsell in the King Stand (when impeded at the finish) looks the strongest form here.
The much-vaunted Kingman colt Nostrum returns to the track for his second start of the season in the Gr3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (15h25).
Run over a mile, he takes on eleven rivals including Embesto (third in the betting) who finished 3-lengths behind him at Newmarket last month. Ryan Moore rides the Stoute trained favourite who should take this on his way to bigger things later in the season.
The first race is off at 14h50
