Midday faces six in Nassau defence
Thursday 29 July 2010
Henry Cecil's Midday will face six rivals as she bids for back-to-back successes in the Blue Square Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday.
After a busy campaign last year, Cecil has been far more conservative with his star filly this season and she has had just the one run at York where she finished second behind Sariska, just like she did in the Oaks.
However, with other big targets later in the season, such as the Prix Vermeille and an attempt to retain her Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf crown on the cards, the four-year-old will be earning her keep from now on.
'Her program really has been a late summer autumn campaign because of races like the Nassau on Saturday, the Yorkshire Oaks, the Vermeille, the Prix de l'Opera, Breeders' Cup, all those sorts of major older fillies' races come late in the season,' said Teddy Grimthorpe, owner Prince Khalid Abdullah's racing manager.
'With that in mind, Henry wants to have her right for those races.
'She seems to have come on nicely. He's obviously suitably pleased with her as she worked pretty well the other day.
'They are going to be tough races but we are very excited with her.'
Taking her on are two French raiders. The supplemented Rosanara is joined by Stacelita, last year's Prix Vermeille winner.
Luca Cumani's improving Italian Oaks winner Contredanse and David Elsworth's dual Lancashire Oaks winner Barshiba are both contenders.
Michael Stoute's Strawberrydaiquiri and Saeed bin Suroor's Antara complete the select field.
