Sultanina rules

supreme in Nassau

MARKEL INSURANCE

NASSAU STAKES

(Group 1)

JOHN Gosden has taken the season by storm and made it three Group 1 triumphs in a week as Sultanina ran out a clear-cut winner of the Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes, following Taghrooda in the King George and Kingman in the Sussex Stakes.

The Newmarket trainer was also winning the Nassau for the third year in a row after The Fugue and Winsili and it is a measure of his strength in depth, especially with fillies, that he could still win with Sultanina following The Fugue’s recent retirement.

The Nassau has attracted some impressive fields in recent years but this was not the classiest renewal, with French challenger Narniyn unproven on fast ground and Aidan O’Brien’s Venus De Milo seemingly quite exposed after an unavailing battle against Thistle Bird in the Pretty Polly at the Curragh.

With Thistle Bird absent, and now retired, the race was there for the taking and Sultanina did just that.

Venus De Milo took them along at no great gallop but never looked particularly happy as Lustrous harried her for the lead. Christophe Soumillon took his time on Narniyn but moved the Aga Khan’s filly closer in the straight and took it up with two furlongs to go.

She always looked vulnerable, however, and it was Sultanina and William Buick who arrived on the outside to grind her down well inside the final furlong before pulling clear to score by a length and a half. Venus De Milo held on to the minor placing.

Although both she and Narniyn may be seen to better advantage on easier ground at a more conventional track, nothing should be taken away from the winner, who suffered from sore shins as a youngster and did not see a racecourse until this year at the age of four.

“She’s won a maiden, a Group 3, finished second in a Group 2 (to stable-companion Pomology in the Lancashire Oaks) and a Group 1, so it’s unbelievable,” the trainer said. “We’re going to enter her for the Qipco British Champions Fillies’ & Mares’ Stakes in October and we may go straight there.”

Sultanina (11/2) was dropping down from a mile and a half and was easy to back. Gosden was also worried about the firm going but walked the course and told owner-breeder Philippa Cooper to continue her journey because the fresh ground opened up was ‘beautiful’.

Mrs Cooper, admirably frank, considered it a weak Group 1 with The Fugue and Thistle Bird missing and was more than happy to take up the challenge.

Narniyn will go for the Prix Jean Romanet and Venus De Milo for the Yorkshire Oaks. Gosden indicated that Taghrooda could also head for the Knavesmire before contesting the Arc, while Kingman is pencilled in for the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville next weekend and Eagle Top has entries in the Juddmonte International and the St Leger.