 |
|
| Staff Writer |
 |
Opera Singer, trained by Aidan O'Brien, delivered a commanding performance to clinch the prestigious G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes, the highlight of day three at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. The three-year-old filly, ridden by Ryan Moore, showcased her class and stamina over the 10-furlong distance, holding off strong challenges from See The Fire and G1 Prix de Diane winner Sparkling Plenty.
The daughter of Justify, who also sired her illustrious stablemate and Derby winner City Of Troy, made most of the running under Moore's guidance. Opera Singer arrived at Goodwood on the back of a promising second-place finish in the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, and she demonstrated her improvement by securing her second top-level success, having previously won the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac last year.
Aidan O'Brien, who notched his 27th Qatar Goodwood Festival winner with this triumph, was full of praise for his filly. "When Ryan got off Opera Singer last year after she won the Marcel Boussac, he said this filly could come back and win the Arc. She's a very special filly. Ryan gave her an incredible ride, too, but he was so confident about her. He makes it happen all the time for us," O'Brien said.
The Ballydoyle handler revealed that Opera Singer had faced some setbacks earlier in the season but had shown her quality despite the challenges. "We had an interrupted spring with her; she was barely ready for a racecourse gallop when she went to The Curragh for the Guineas, and then we left her to go straight to Ascot, where she ran a great race. All we were wanting to do was step her up to a mile and a quarter, and that was here. There is every chance she will get a mile and a half. She's very classy," O'Brien added.
Looking ahead, O'Brien hinted at a potential Arc bid for Opera Singer, with a possible preparatory run in France. "She'll go to one of the fillies' races in France [before the Arc] and she can have a run around the track and that kind of thing. Something like that, but the lads will decide what they want to do," he said.
Ryan Moore, who celebrated his 62nd Qatar Goodwood Festival winner, was equally effusive in his praise for Opera Singer. "I was very confident that Opera Singer would stay. She does everything beautifully. She is fine at 10 furlongs but I don't think 12 would be an issue. When she won the Boussac on her last year, I thought she was an Arc filly," Moore said.
The jockey also shed light on the reasons behind Opera Singer's absence from the 1000 Guineas and her subsequent performances. "The only reason she didn't run in the Guineas was because she had a little setback. She started late in the Irish Guineas on ground that was slow on the day, which didn't suit her. She still ran very well," Moore explained.
Andrew Balding, trainer of runner-up See The Fire, expressed his pride in his filly's effort. "She is a very good filly and I am sure her turn will come. I am proud of the effort. It is just annoying being beaten two races in a row – Aidan can go home!" Balding said.
Patrice Cottier, trainer of third-placed Sparkling Plenty, was pleased with his filly's run and hinted at future targets. "She just got a little unbalanced, but I am pleased with the run. It was always the plan to ride her at the back because we wanted her to relax. She finished really well. She might go for the Prix Vermeille and then we shall see," Cottier said.
The 7/4 favourite, Emily Upjohn, trained by John and Thady Gosden, could only manage a sixth-place finish. Thady Gosden cited the unfavourable draw and the filly's lack of acceleration as factors in her disappointing run. "We were drawn in stall 10 which is never ideal here. She was a touch slowly away but travelled well in the early part of the race. Coming down the hill she did not pick up how you would have expected her to do. She seems fine afterwards," Gosden said.
The Yorkshire Oaks, run over a mile and a half at York, could be a suitable target for Emily Upjohn, according to Gosden. "Naturally, when you start favourite let alone a group one if they don't quite run how you expect them too it's disappointing. She is in good condition afterwards and did not take long to cool down. We move on. The mile and a half Yorkshire Oaks on a very fair track is a race which would suit her well," he added.
The Qatar Nassau Stakes once again showcased the depth of talent in the fillies' division, with Opera Singer emerging as a serious contender for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. As the season progresses, racing enthusiasts will eagerly await the next chapter in the rivalry between these top-class fillies.