By Sean Cronin
Imad Al Sagar's dual Group 1-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}–Princess Loulou {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) wrested defeat from the jaws of victory in last month's G3 Hoppings S., but was a different proposition facing a stellar cast in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket and back on song to dish out a wide-margin beating in the one-mile distaffers' test. Persistent drizzle had fallen at Headquarters throughout the day, easing the official going to good, and enticed connections into rubber-stamping the participation of last week's G1 Pretty Polly s. victrix Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Nashwa, last term's G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. heroine, endured a winless run in four outings since annexing the latter test and was reined back to occupy a slot in rear through the early fractions here. Tanking forward on the bridle from halfway, the 4-1 chance cruised to the front underneath the stands' side rail approaching the final furlong and surged clear up the hill to easily outclass G1 Coronation S. runner-up Remarquee (GB) (Kingman {GB}) by an impressive five lengths. Even-money favourite Via Sistina was 1 1/2 lengths further adrift in third.
“She's a filly that has taken a long time to come to herself,” revealed John Gosden. “She ran in France and she wasn't there and at Newcastle she was a little keen early. It's a stiff mile-and-a-quarter up there and she just over-raced early and got caught in the last few strides. I only thought in the last week that she needs racing, I didn't want her to be too fresh for the [G1] Nassau by waiting seven weeks. I thought coming here would suit as she's got plenty of speed. I rang Teddy [Grimthorpe] and he wondered what I was smoking. I just knew it was the right thing to come here and she's proven it. She's a classy filly who could run in the [G1] QEII at the end of the year.”
Rider Hollie Doyle, collecting her first win in the contest, added, “For this filly to get her head back in front and just display how good that we know she is, it is the icing on the cake. She's been a real flagbearer for me and the team and there were plenty of doubters on the back of her last two runs, but John Gosden is a master and you shouldn't doubt him. I think she's just proven to be extremely versatile, you can ride her anywhere and she stays 10 furlongs. Plenty more doors have been opened stepping her back down to a mile.”
Remarquee's trainer Ralph Beckett was not too downcast in defeat and said, “I was really pleased with her. She is getting more professional with racing as I hoped she might as it is a trait of the family. It was a good effort, but John [Gosden] got it right again. Ground doesn't appear to matter much to her and she is in the [G1 Prix] Rothschild [at Deauville], so we will see how that goes. She is also in the [G1] Matron [at Leopardstown] and there is the [G1] Sun Chariot [at Newmarket's Rowley Mile] as well. We will see how we feel at the time and take our chances as they arise. I'd say we will keep to a mile for the time being.”
It's one innings at a mile and out for Via Sistina, with trainer George Boughey declaring, “She just got tapped for toe, Jamie [Spencer] gave her one flick and I was pleased to see her stay on well. She looked like she was booked for fourth, fifth or sixth at one point, but she galloped out well up the hill and went all the way to the end. She will have a bit of a break now and we will prep her for the autumn, but we won't see her over a mile again.”
Pedigree Notes
Nashwa, kin to the unraced 2-year-old filly Mesmerizing (GB) (Decorated Knight {GB}) and a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire), is the third of five foals out of stakes-winning G1 Prix Jean Romanet runner-up Princess Loulou (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), herself a half-sister to Listed Pomfret S. third Easy Target (Fr) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Descendants of the May-foaled homebred bay's dual stakes-placed third dam Sweeping (GB) (Indian King), herself out of G3 Prix d'Arenberg winner Glancing (GB) (Grundy {Ire}), include G1 Middle Park S.-winning sire Awzaan (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}), G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. winner Ball Lightning (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) and GIII Will Rogers S. victor Media Mogul (GB) (First Trump {GB}). Nashwa is one of her sire's 32 Group 1 winners.
Friday, Newmarket, Britain
TATTERSALLS FALMOUTH S.-G1, £291,565, Newmarket, 7-14, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:39.52, gd.
1–NASHWA (GB), 135, f, 4, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Princess Loulou (Ire) (SW-Eng, G1SP-Fr &
GSP-Ire, $175,317), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Aiming (GB), by Highest Honor (Fr)
3rd Dam: Sweeping (GB), by Indian King
'TDN Rising Star'. O-Imad Al Sagar; B-Blue Diamond Stud Farm
(UK) Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Hollie Doyle.
£165,347. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, 11-5-2-2, $1,599,718.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Remarquee (GB), 126, f, 3, Kingman (GB)–Regardez (GB), by
Champs Elysees (GB). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lawn Stud (GB);
T-Ralph Beckett. £62,686.
3–Via Sistina (Ire), 135, m, 5, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Nigh (Ire), by
Galileo (Ire). (5,000gns Ylg '19 TADEYG). O-Mrs R G Hillen;
B-Laundry Cottage Stud Farm (IRE); T-George Boughey.
£31,372.
Margins: 5, 1HF, HF. Odds: 4.00, 5.50, 1.00.
Also Ran: Astral Beau (GB), Coppice (GB), Random Harvest (Ire), Prosperous Voyage (Ire), Never Ending Story (Ire). Scratched: Ameynah (Ire). VIDEO.
Brilliant performance
Dropped to a mile, Nashwa lands the G1 @Tattersalls1766 Falmouth Stakes for @HollieDoyle1 & team Gosden at @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/p4Qv6cq5pN
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 14, 2023
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