John Gosden eyeing Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes with The Fugue and Izzi Top
This season’s Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes at Goodwood is shaping up to be a great occasion for John Gosden, who is aiming for the big prize with his two ace fillies, Izzi Top and The Fugue. The Group 1 event, to be run over 1m1f192y, is scheduled to take
place on August 4th.
Izzi Top has been quite brilliant since the start of this season. The 4-year-old won the Group 3 Qatar Bloodstock Dahlia Stakes before presenting an excellent show in the Betfred Middleton Stakes at York in May.
The latest of her victories hit the headlines at the start of this month, when she sealed an emphatic win in the Group 1 Barclays Bank Ireland Pretty Polly Stakes at Curragh. After clinching three consecutive triumphs, the Helena Springfield Ltd-owned is
in good shape, and has a very good chance in next month’s battle.
"Izzi Top and The Fugue are looking at the Nassau. They are different horses as one likes juice (in the ground) and The Fugue likes it on top. Izzi Top is a talented filly, undefeated this year, and you can look at races like the Nassau, the Jean Romanet
and the Prix de l'Opera,” said Gosden.
On the other hand, The Fugue is going through an unlucky spell these days. The three-year-old was third behind Was in the Investec Oaks at Epsom at the start of last month.
In her latest trip, the Lord Lloyd-Webber-owned missed the top spot in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot last month. Gosden is not worried about The Fugue’s recent unlucky outings, and said that if the ground stays good at Goodwood, the daughter of Dansili
will be a definite runner.
"The Fugue is a progressive filly and if it's good to firm there, she'll run," the handler said of The Fugue.
Midday won this race thrice for Sir Henry Cecil, who will be represented by Timepiece this year. Despite the fact that the 5-year-old is out of form these days, her connections are confident of a good result.
Teddy Grimthorpe, Khalid Abdullah's racing manager, said: "Timepiece will go for the Nassau, and she seems to have turned the corner. She has been looking pretty disappointing but Henry seems pleased and she's looking and moving a lot better."
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