This 3 y.o O'Brien filly first came to our attention with an unlucky-in-running 3rd in the Coronation Stakes (winner Qemah) - run in the best time (adjusted) on the Friday on the round course at Roayal Ascot (SF 75) Carrying my dosh, she then won the Falmouth (Group 1) recording another fast speed figure (78).
Not surprising then she should go off 15/8 favourite in the Prix De Rothschild (despite Qemah reopposing, 11/4). But she flopped - finishing 8th of 10, over 10L off Qemah.
After this race the excuse was she couldnt act on the soft (patchy, or whatever); Raceform gave the view 'the ground may well have been to blame'.
However, she bounced back to win, nay, obliterate the opposition in the Matron on good to yielding ground. She averaged 12.76 seconds per furlong against 12.98 by Awtaad and 12.89 by Almanzour who had won, it was unanimously agreed the best Group 1 of the season thus far.
So, the excuse for the French flop is in tatters.
The upshot is, and I am coming to the point, the reason for her failure in France may have been the travelling.
I am deducing 2 things - 1. Connections will not want to risk travelling to France for the Prix De L'Opera. It may be they dont trust the French going (might be a different kind of 'soft' over there..) but also they may, privately, have come to the same conclusion I have and that is that she may not have travelled. She is currently 2nd fav. and so it may be a good time to consider the other runners for an ante post wager in the belief connections will not go with AS. There was no mention of France in the plans after the Matron that I could find either. She is taking a large chunk of the market. 2. The question arises as to whether she will handle the trip to the Breeders Cup that is being mooted. Bear in mind that Ballydoyle and Coolmore travelled to Canada recently and performed abysmally in the beverley D in canada behind Sea Calisi.
Ive opposed AS in the Opera with Speedy Boarding (choice of engagements).
The reason given for not acting at Deauville was not that the ground was soft...but that it was loose on top and grd in poor condition. The grd was soft at Leopardstown but in much better nick
The reason given for not acting at Deauville was not that the ground was soft...but that it was loose on top and grd in poor condition.The grd was soft at Leopardstown but in much better nick
Alice Springs needs at least good ground to show her best and was unsuited by the 'loose' ground at Chantilly in the French 1000G. She won the Matron Stakes coming up the centre of the track unlike Qemah who'd a nightmare of a race. But I do not see consider Alice Springs a 10f horse on grass, and there is a better alternative in So Mi Dar, an easy winner on her comeback race last week and the Musidora Stakes prior to her lameness before the Epsom Oaks.
If So Mi Dar runs in the Opera she'd have a favourite's chance even with Seventh Heavens in the race but I do not think the latter will get her ground (good/fast) and the 10f might to 2f too short as she needed every yard of the 12f when winning the Yorkshire Oaks beating Found and Queen's Trust. So Mi Dar could also run in America according to her owner.
Alice Springs needs at least good ground to show her best and was unsuited by the 'loose' ground at Chantilly in the French 1000G. She won the Matron Stakes coming up the centre of the track unlike Qemah who'd a nightmare of a race. But I do not see