Saturday 26th June 2010
Million Guineas mare Lahaleeb eyes Newmarket Group 1 brace
LAST season’s Grade One E. P. Taylor Stakes winner Lahaleeb, sold for one million guineas out of Mick Channon’s stable in November, is set for the £200,000 Group One Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes, run at Newmarket on Wednesday, 7th July, with trainer Gerard Butler pinpointing another Newmarket Group One as her main late-season target.
The mile contest is the highlight on day one of Newmarket’s popular three-day Champagne Lanson July Festival, an event that showcases top-class racing in an idyllic summer setting.
Butler revealed today: “The plan would be to have perhaps three runs in Britain this year with the finale being the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket in October. Beyond that, we haven’t made plans yet.
“As a starting point, I think she is better off taking on her own sex in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes. She ran very well this spring over nine and 10 furlongs in Dubai and Singapore against some very tough, strong horses. She was only beaten a neck in the Irish Guineas over a mile, so if conditions are right and it doesn’t dry too much, the race fits nicely.
“We were pleased with her work at Lingfield on Wednesday and all being well William Buick will ride her in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes.”
Spacious may have narrowly come out second best in one of the season’s most thrilling duels when runner-up to Strawberrydaiquiri at Royal Ascot last week, but the James Fanshawe-trained filly is in fine form as she bids for an elusive first Group One success in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned Spacious was a length third to the great Goldikova in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes at last year’s July Festival at Newmarket and is poised for a return to the July Course, after pleasing her trainer since that agonising short-head defeat in the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes at Ascot.
Fanshawe knows what it takes to win the prestigious Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes, having landed the prize with Macadamia (2003) and Soviet Song (2004 & 2005). He could also saddle Windsor Forest fourth Alsace Lorraine.
The Pegasus Stables handler revealed today: “Spacious has come out of the Ascot race in good form. She had to really battle over the last two furlongs with Strawberrydaiquiri but she has come out of that on good terms with herself.
“I am not sure at this stage what else goes for the race and it is still 11 days away. Anything can happen in that time but I am pleased with her and hopefully she can go to the race and run well again.”
