Group 1-placed Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) will return to the races in the July 9 G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket during the Moet & Chandon July Festival. A winner of her first two starts as a juvenile including the G3 Oh So Sharp S. at HQ in October, the chestnut ran second in the Apr. 14 G3 Nell Gwyn S. and filled the same position in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas S. on May 2. Saffron Beach was only eighth in the G1 Cazoo Oaks in unsuitable ground on June 4.
Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam said, “The Falmouth has been on the radar as she will get a good bit of weight off the older horses. She had an easy week training and out at grass after the Oaks and we have been gradually building her back up for the Falmouth.
“Adam Kirby said it was just too heavy for her at Epsom. He wasn't hard on her in the last two furlongs and he let her come home in her own time.
“Instead of rushing her for the Coronation S. at Royal Ascot, which would have again been on heavy ground, we did the right thing and gave her a bit more time as we have got five weeks between the Oaks and the Falmouth S. It is a hard mile on the July Course so we will give it a go and hope for a bit better ground. Hopefully we will see her shine through like she did on all those races over on the Rowley Mile.”
She added, “Adam Kirby is very sure that she will get a mile and a quarter. The unknown was the mile and a half but we never really got a true gauge if she got it on really heavy going.
“I think we would be sticking to a mile and then possibly going up to a mile and a quarter as planned if not this season then next as she will race again next year. We will just take each race as it comes as the traffic light system for travelling changes from month to month and even getting to France is tricky. She appears to be training well and I think while we have got races in England for her we will enjoy the racing here.”
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