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| Staff Writer |
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Anshoda could be heading straight to Del Mar for the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf following her superb victory in the Group Three Prestige Stakes at Goodwood.
The daughter of Inns Of Court, trained by David Loughnane, was proving her 66-1 second in Sandown's Star Stakes was no fluke when scoring impressively under Billy Loughnane on the Sussex Downs. That run marked her first outing for new owners Team Valor LLC and Gary Barber, who are now relishing the prospect of seeing their exciting recruit compete Stateside in early November.
Before making the trip to California, Anshoda is likely to undertake a racecourse gallop, with the timing of her two entries in Britain falling at awkward dates on the calendar.
Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor International, said: "It was a very nice performance, no doubt about it, we're going to bring her to the Breeders' Cup that's for sure then after that we will send her back to England."
He added: "We promised the trainer we would leave things to him and we will follow through on that. I have talked to him a little bit and he doesn't know if she will run before the Breeders' Cup or not."
Two possible races are under consideration for Anshoda's final prep: the Group Two Rockfel Stakes on September 27 and the Group One Fillies' Mile on October 11. However, Loughnane thinks the Rockfel comes too soon after Goodwood, while the Fillies' Mile is too close to the Breeders' Cup.
Irwin explained: "David might just pick a racecourse and do an afternoon gallop there and head to California like that."
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf has been a launchpad for several stars in recent years. Notable winners include Newspaperofrecord in 2018, who went on to claim the Group One Just A Game Stakes, and Aunt Pearl, the 2020 victor who later triumphed in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.
Anshoda is the first horse the owners have had trained by Shropshire-based Loughnane. Irwin revealed how he sacrificed long-held family plans to ensure the exciting prospect carried the respective colours of Team Valor and Barber after watching her fine effort in defeat to Celestial Orbit at Sandown.
"On the morning of the trip we were having pancakes in a restaurant waiting for our driver to take us to the airport and I was offered this filly," Irwin recounted. "I was shown the Star Stakes and her debut and I liked her."
He continued: "As I started dealing with it, I could see that if I wanted this filly I was not going to make this trip as I was going to have to work that weekend to get the job done. I cancelled my trip, spent the whole day on the phone and the trainer and a long-time agent of mine worked together to get the deal done."
Despite the challenges, Irwin's dedication has already paid dividends. "It was a pain and hard work to get the deal done, but it was worth it in the end. Goodwood ended up being a wonderful day for us and we hope to have some more," he concluded.
With Anshoda's connections eyeing Breeders' Cup glory, the racing world eagerly awaits her next move on the path to potential stardom.