All-star entries for Nassau at Glorious Goodwood

A host of Group 1-winning fillies and mares feature among 34 tremendous

entries for this year's Group 1, £200,000 Nassau Stakes, run over just shy of 10

furlongs on the fifth and final day of Glorious Goodwood on August 3.

The Fugue posted a comfortable length victory in last year's race and the

John Gosden-trained four-year-old is on course to defend her crown following a

rare below-par run in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown last Saturday, after

which she produced a dirty scope.

Snow Fairy, runner-up to the outstanding Midday in 2011, could make her

seasonal return in the race for trainer Ed Dunlop. The dual classic winner

recorded a sixth Group 1 victory when beating Nathaniel and St Nicholas Abbey in

last September's Irish Champion Stakes, but has since been sidelined by injury.

Dunlop is keeping all options open for her comeback. 

The classic crop is well represented, with 20 three-year-olds entered

including the Richard Hannon-trained Sky Lantern, who followed up success in the

One Thousand Guineas with a scintillating four-length victory in the Coronation

Stakes at Royal Ascot. She is one of four runners in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes

at Newmarket Friday.

Just the Judge, successful in the Irish One Thousand Guineas at the Curragh

for Charlie Hills, is set to step up in distance in the Nassau Stakes, while

Talent and Secret Gesture, both trained by Ralph Beckett, could drop down to 

1 1/4 miles after fighting out the finish to the Oaks at the end of May. The

Beckett fillies are likely to clash in the July 20 Irish Oaks.

Last year's Oaks heroine Was features among six entries from the stable of

Aidan O'Brien, while Sajjhaa, a dual Group 1 winner in Dubai earlier this year,

could line up for Godolphin handler Saeed bin Suroor.

The Roger Varian-trained four-year-old Ambivalent made all of the running to

post a half-length victory over Was in the 10-furlong Pretty Polly Stakes at the

Curragh on June 30.

Varian has also given an entry to South African import Dancewiththedevil, who

notched five Group 1 wins in her native country. The seven-year-old was eighth

on her debut for her new trainer in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot

on June 19 -- her first outing for more than a year.

"Ambivalent and Dancewiththedevil are possible runners at Goodwood," Varian

said.

"It was great to see Ambivalent win the Pretty Polly Stakes. I think that she

was suited by the change of tactics and how the race panned out for her --

that's not to say that she needs to be ridden from the front every time, but it

certainly paid off for her at the Curragh.

"She's pretty versatile between 10 and 12 furlongs and she has also an entry

in the Yorkshire Oaks. She's a good filly and she has shown that she can hold

her own in Group 1 company.

"I wasn't disappointed with Dancewiththedevil at Royal Ascot. She took quite

a while to acclimatize, and I think that run has really brought her forward

considerably. I would be expecting a much bolder run wherever we decide to go

next with her.

"She's a five-time Grade 1 winner in South Africa and a real superstar out

there."

Chicquita, one of three French-trained entries, was runner-up in the French

Oaks, the Prix de Diane, on her latest start, while listed

scorers Integral, Alive Alive Oh and Venus de Milo look certain to make their

mark in better company.

The Group 2 Lennox Stakes, run over seven furlongs, is the highlight of day

one of Glorious Goodwood on July 30 and has attracted 28 entries. The prize fund

for this year's renewal, which closed early rather than at the six-day stage for

the first time, has been boosted by £10,000 to £150,000.

Since it was first run at Goodwood in 2000, no Irish-trained horse has

prevailed in the Lennox Stakes, but County Tipperary handler Tom Hogan is

considering the prestigious contest for his stable star Gordon Lord Byron. The

five-year-old is a Group 1 winner at seven furlongs, having taken the Prix de la

Foret at Longchamp in October. After making a winning reappearance over six

furlongs on Polytrack at Dundalk in March, Gordon Lord Byron has had three more

outings over that distance, most recently finishing fourth in the Diamond

Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 22.

"At this stage, Gordon Lord Byron will either be heading to Goodwood for the

Lennox Stakes or to Deauville for the Prix Maurice de Gheest (August 4)," Hogan

said.

"He has been pretty good since Ascot. We decided to give the July Cup a miss

with him and he will head to the Curragh on July 20 for the Group 3 Minstrel

Stakes before going on to Goodwood or Deauville.

"He is effective at both six and seven furlongs, but he hasn't been lucky

with the draw lately, which is quite a factor in six-furlong races when there is

a big field. I would be hoping that a race like the Lennox Stakes over seven

furlongs with a smaller field would suit him well."

One horse definitely on course for Glorious Goodwood is the Marcus Tregoning-trained Boom

and Bust. The six-year-old won the hugely-competitive Betfred Mile at Glorious

Goodwood in 2011 and finished fourth in the same race last year. With the

handicapper having allotted Boom And Bust top-weight of 136 pounds in the

Betfred Mile this year, Tregoning is considering dropping back a furlong for the 

Lennox Stakes.

Tregoning, who trains at Whitsbury in Hampshire, commented: "We will look at

both races. With 9st 10lb in the Betfred Mile, he is obviously on the verge of

being Group class so we will also look at the Lennox as well with him. He will

definitely be coming to Glorious Goodwood for one or the other and Hayley Turner

will ride him as usual.

"The stable had a difficult spring but everything is coming to the boil now

ahead of Glorious Goodwood, which is very exciting."

Turner is Goodwood's racing ambassador this year.

The entries for the Lennox Stakes also include Aljamaaheer, runner-up to

Declaration of War in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and Godolphin's

Fulbright, winner of the Betfred Mile at Glorious Goodwood and the seven-furlong

Challenge Stakes at Newmarket in 2012, when trained by Mark Johnston.

The Richard Hannon-trained Libranno is a real seven-furlong specialist having

won four pattern races at the distance, including the Supreme Stakes at Goodwood

in 2011 and the Park Stakes at Doncaster last season.

Hannon, the most successful current trainer at Goodwood, has also entered

another seven-furlong specialist in Producer, whose seven career wins have all

come at seven furlongs, including the Supreme Stakes at Goodwood in 2012 and on

his latest appearance in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket on June 29. Hannon's

trio of entries is completed by Professor, successful on his last three starts

which included listed victories at Haydock Park and Salisbury over six furlongs.

Overseas interest could be supplied by Krypton Factor, trained in Bahrain by

Fawzi Nass. The five-year-old won the Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan in 2012,

was an excellent third last time in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and is due to run

in the July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday.

Aidan O'Brien has entered Most Improved, successful in the St James's Palace

Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012 and Reply, a seven-furlong listed scorer at Naas

in June.

Other interesting contenders include the Roger Charlton-trained Dundonell,

winner of the King Charles II Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket and Glory

Awaits, runner up to Dawn Approach in the Two Thousand Guineas, from Kevin

Ryan's Yorkshire yard.

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