Fresh and well after her maiden Group 1 victory in the Nassau S. at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Thursday, William Jarvis trainee Lady Bowthorpe (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is eyeing a pair of top flight races in France. The first target for the 5-year-old mare is the G1 Prix Jean Romanet on Aug. 22, and, if the bay continues to thrive, the G1 Prix de l'Opera on Arc day would come next.
“I haven't been back [to the yard] myself, but I've had reports that everything is good with her this morning,” said trainer William Jarvis of the Emma Banks colourbearer. “I think she deserved it. She'd been knocking at the door in a couple of other Group 1, so it was a very special day.
“I've got to talk about it [plans] with Emma. There's a slightly obvious race, now that she seems to be travelling a bit better, and that is the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville. Then we could look at the Prix de l'Opera, possibly. She's not in the Juddmonte International and supplementing her wouldn't be on my agenda, but it's all open to discussion.
“I would have thought we'll be sticking to a mile and a quarter, although we could drop back for the Sun Chariot–we've got options.”
A winner of the G3 Betfred Valiant Fillies' S. at Ascot last year, Lady Bowthorpe kicked off her 2021 season with a bang, clawing out a head victory in the G2 Betfair Dahlia S. at Newmarket on May 2. Only 1 ½ lengths behind Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the May 15 G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. at Newbury, the mare was second again, this time in the June 16 G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot. Her final run prior to her Nassau win was a fourth in the G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at HQ on July 9.
Of plans farther afield than Europe, the Breeders' Cup is not in the cards, but the Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin in December are a possibility, according to the Newmarket trainer.
“She won't go to the Breeders' Cup, I wouldn't think, but if she's still in good form in December we could think about Hong Kong,” he said.
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