Equinties - that time of year

Gm Equinauts

It’s that beautiful time of year when the circus that is the flat season is winding down, and yet we are still seeing monsters being unleashed from their respective yards, whetting our appetites in anticipation for it all to start up again next year!

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

NASHWA’S RETURN

It’s been a while since we last saw NASHWA on the track. Well, specifically, the Dubai Turf in March was the last time NASHWA was in front of our eyes, but that feels like a long time ago now.

It therefore comes as a nice surprise to see that she is on the comeback trail and will be seen before this season is out, albeit with connections yet to land on her target.

But first? Why has she been off for so long?

"She's taken some time to come to herself since Dubai and we've given her every chance,” Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager of owner Al Sagar Racing, said. “She's progressing and worked nicely this morning on the Limekilns - she's on the worklist regularly now but she takes a bit of getting ready for a race.”

She’s an important horse, not only to the owner for breeding, but also to John & Thady Gosden as they have had a relatively poor year.

This year is their worst strike rate (19%) since the father and son joined forces, and they also only have one Group 1 to their name after AUDIENCE won a suspect Lockinge.

Their best hopes for the remainder of the season rely on a couple of horses, one of them being FRIENDLY SOUL in the Prix de l’Opera and one being NASHWA.

Speaking of l’Opera, that is a suggested target for the Classic-winning FRANKEL five-year-old, as Grimthorpe continued: “She's in the Opera, Sun Chariot and the Champions Day races and those are the sort of targets, but we haven't yet got to a position where we can say, 'We really need to go to this race'.”

Considering FRIENDLY SOUL is Opera-bound, it might be a case of Sun Chariot or Champions Day and then potentially on to the Breeders’ Cup.

No pressure, NASHWA.

ANGEL AMONGST THE STARS

Speaking of the Prix de l’Opera, we could be set for a classic match-up as FALLEN ANGEL is aiming towards the Group 1 contest on Arc Day.

Firstly, it’s fair to say her effort in the in the Matron Stakes on Saturday was huge. Connections, and us, thought she was going to need the run massively after a few setbacks, but she ran a big race to finish second to PORTA FORTUNA, the best filly in the division.

James Doyle came off her on the weekend and said that a step up in trip is the next step in her career progression, so 1m2f in the €500,000 contest looks bang on.

"We were absolutely delighted with Fallen Angel," said Wathnan's racing adviser Richard Brown. "She ran a phenomenal race against Porta Fortuna, who is as good as there is around at this distance. Having been off for over 100 days it was a tough ask.

"She wasn’t under our management earlier on in the season but she just had a bit of bone bruising. She's a top-class filly and everyone wanted to give her the time. She’s come out of the race great."

Out of the Group 1 one-mile winner AGNES STEWART, she is a half-sister to the 1m6f-placed DIVINE JEWEL, so there’s scope in the pedigree to suggest a longer trip will suit her.

If she does come up against FRIENDLY SOUL and NASHWA, one could argue that her form is actually slightly below that of the two mentioned horses, but she is obviously very classy and will make for a massive race on Arc Day.

NEW GUINEAS HOPE

Juddmonte had a DAY yesterday. Three winners, one of which included landing the Listed Fortune Stakes at Sandown.

The one we are focusing on is COSMIC YEAR, a six-and-a-half-length victor of the 7f novice stakes for Harry Charlton and Oisin Murphy.

WHO LOOKED A MONSTER.

The KINGMAN half-brother to TIME TEST bolted up under a hands and heels ride, beating the well-backed (8/13 SP) ROCK D’ORO who was second to the subsequent Group 2 winner BAY CITY ROLLER on debut.

The fourth, DESERT HEART, is by OASIS DREAM out of a half-sister to the Group 1 winner VIVA PATACA, so the form could be quite nice.

Having won the same race that PALACE PIER won in 2019, he is now a 20/1 shot for the 2000 Guineas.

RISK ON

A mixed day of results yesterday with a good single landing on the drifter NIGHTWALKER, in contrast to the smash-up job HEART ABOVE who could only place third. He went heavy odds on but got done in the final furlong. We think the omitted hurdles didn’t help given how soundly he was jumping.

No bets today - sorry, not sorry. We wait wait for the right ones. We’ll get the Intern to take a quick look at the bet’s we’ve landed over the last few months.

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