With the good news that sporting events in England can return to full capacity for the first time since the pandemic began 18 months ago, the upcoming Goodwood Festival (commonly known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’) will be one to savour!
The beautiful Chichester-based racecourse plays host to the world-class five-day meeting, which will run between 27-31 July, and from looking at the ante-post racecards, Day Three’s (Ladies’ Day) feature race, the Nassau Stakes is shaping up to be one of the most exciting races of the week.
There’s very little to separate the frontrunners for the one-mile, two-furlong race in the horse betting. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the favourites…
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Snowfall – 3/1
After a rather disappointing maiden season last year, especially by Aidan O’Brien’s extremely high standards, where Snowfall won once in seven outings, the three-year-old has looked like a completely different horse so far this season. With Ryan Moore in the saddle, the Japanese-bred horse won the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York back in May, and with Frankie Dettori taking the reins for the Oaks, the O’Brien-trained horse won the prestigious race by some 16 lengths at Epsom Downs. There’s not much to separate her from the rest of the field, but if form’s anything to go by, Snowfall looks like the one to beat in this race.
Audarya – 7/2
Audarya was the queen of springing surprises last season. After looking well off the pace in her first two races at Kempton and Pontefract, the James Fanshawe-trained horse won a handicap at Newcastle by a shorthead, before setting sail for France, where the now five-year-old won the Group 1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet by a neck from a huge 48/1. Audarya was then third in the Prix de l’Opera Longines at Longchamp, but got back to winning ways stateside, where she won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf as a 12/1 shot. She was second to Love in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, but rule this unpredictable mare out at your own peril!
Love – 7/2
Love had a similar debut season to her stablemate Snowfall. In 2019, the O’Brien-trained horse won just three of her seven races, including the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh. However, the now four-year-old really stole the spotlight last season, winning the 1,000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket, the Oaks at Epsom and the Yorkshire Oaks at York. Having been raced lightly since that action-packed maiden season, Love has hit the track just once this season, landing a victory in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. It’s not yet clear whether the Irish-trained horse will head to Goodwood for this race or return to Ascot for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on 24 July, but O’Brien will surely be confident with Love having already gotten the better of Audarya once this season.
Snow Lantern – 9/2
Hot on the heels of the frontrunners is Snow Lantern at 9/2. The Richard Hannon-trained horse raced just once last year, finishing second in a British EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes at Ascot in July. But she has already hit the track four times this season, winning a Maiden Stakes at Newbury in April before landing her maiden Group 1 victory in the recent Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at the Newmarket July Festival. Yet to finish outside the top three in her five career races, it’s fair to say that Snow Lantern could be there or thereabouts come the end of this race.
Wonderful Tonight, who won the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, is just behind at 5/1, whilst Santa Barbara, fresh off a Grade 1 victory stateside is 6/1. With another seven horses, including Mother Earth (7/1), Joan Of Arc (8/1) and Thundering Nights (8/1), all shorter than 10/1, this is set to be a very tight race!
