Nassau Stakes Entries: Nashwa tops 11 entries for Goodwood Group 1
John & Thady Gosden will saddle the top classy filly Nashwa in next week's Nassau Stakes, which is the feature race on day three of Glorious Goodwood, and the star three-year-old is the star attraction amongst 11 entries received for next Thursday's Group 1 contest...
A fine third behind the classy duo of Emily Upjohn and Tuesday in the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom Downs, Nashwa kicked on from that display by bagging top-class glory in France, as under a sublime Hollie Doyle ride the daughter of Frankel bounded to victory in the Prix du Diane. Sent off a short-priced favourite that day, Nashwa was made to work for the victory, but she showed real battling qualities to land the prize, and if she can repeat that effort then she's going to be very tough to beat here.
Proven at the very highest level, Nashwa is around the 4/7 favourite in the ante-post betting for the 2022 Nassau Stakes, and if she can reproduce either her fine Oaks display or fine European run, the Gosden raider will be a tough nut to crack, and she most certainly sets the standard.
Aidan O'Brien has trained some classy performers to victory in this race with the likes of Peeping Fawn and Minding notable winners, and while the Ballydoyle handler has taken out the aforementioned Tuesday he could still unleash a dual-pronged attack in the shape of History and Concert Hall. Third in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, History failed to follow up when finishing last in the Irish Oaks, so she will be on a comeback mission and is 16/1, while Concert Hall was last seen globetrotting in the Belmont Oaks, and she was well beaten there, so will be another needing to bounce back here, and she's also 16/1.
William Haggas is likely to unleash the strongest opposition against the Gosden hotpot, as he will saddle the dual-pronged attack of Lilac Road (6/1) and My Astra (8/1), who have both shaped like possible Group 1 performers. Four-year-old Lilac Road has taken time to show her promise this season, but launched into the limelight last time out when bounding to victory in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York, and she will now look to deliver the goods at the highest level.
My Astra has only had six career runs, but has not been out the first three in any of them, and having won a Listed event at Ayr she then went on to finish a fine runner-up behind La Petite Coco in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh, and with more improvement likely then she could well put it up to Nashwa in what should be a cracking clash between the pair.
Ed Walker's mare Dreamloper kicked off this season with a fine win the Dahlia Stakes, before she went on to claim Group 1 glory in France. However, she failed to fire last time out when down the field in the abovementioned Pretty Polly and Walker will be hoping that was a minor blot on her copybook, and the 9/1 chance adds more depth to the event.
The final quintet of Rogue Millennium, Ville De Grace, Aristia, Fonteyn and One For Bobby complete the 11-strong field, and all five of them are big prices to land this prize which should be a thrilling contest next week.