Nashwa excelled on her return to a mile under Hollie Doyle to absolutely bolt up in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
Riding her seventh Group One winner, Doyle was briefly stuck in a pocket as the pace quickened – but once she was in the clear the race was over in a matter of strides.
John and Thady Gosden's filly had run well to be placed in the Oaks over a mile and a half last season, and went on to win Group Ones over 10 furlongs in the Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes.
However, she had looked fairly lacklustre in her two previous runs this season, in France and down in Group Three company at Newcastle.
But she clearly thrived for being dropped in trip on rain-softened ground, looking in a different league to her rivals.
Pam Sly’s Astral Beau led until just over a furlong out when Remarquee looked a huge threat, bidding to give Ralph Beckett and Rob Hornby another victory in the race after Prosperous Voyage 12 months ago, only for 4-1 shot Nashwa to take off, ultimately winning by five lengths.
Remarquee was second, with the favourite Via Sistina third.
What a performance! 😲
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) July 14, 2023
🏇 Nashwa strikes late to secure the Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes in emphatic style under Hollie Doyle for John & Thady Gosden 👏@Tattersalls1766 @HollieDoyle1 pic.twitter.com/hD9OXJJYYY
Gosden senior said: "She has had a difficult spring. She didn't come to herself, went over to France and it helped her by going there, racing.
"We knew she needed racing. She was a little too keen from the gates, overraced upsides a filly who’d got blinkers on the other day (at Newcastle) and paid the price at the other end, paid the price and got caught late by another nice filly (Al Husn), beaten half a length.
"So we knew she was right and I was very concerned by this gap between the Newcastle race and all the way to Goodwood. This filly needs to race and so I phoned up Teddy (Grimthorpe), and Mr Imad Al Sagar was brilliant. I said I’d like to supplement this filly and he said, 'you believe that’s right’, and I said ‘yes’. So he said, ‘do it’. He is very trusting.
"She needed to race here. The mile was no problem – she is a powerful filly with speed and it will set her up nicely for the Nassau, but it just happens to be a lovely Group One on the way.
"There is no problem with putting her in a race like the QEII at the end of the year, that would be perfect for her. But I’d like to stay with the Nassau at the moment, she has got a lot of tactical speed and tremendous acceleration, she won it last year, so it is a very important race and we’d like to go there.
"You can keep doing everything you like at home, but there’s nothing like racing to bring them on, and that’s why we brought her here."
