Nassau Stakes

Focus on the favourite

Fancy Blue (5/2)

Fancy Blue won both of her starts as a juvenile in 2019 when trained by Donnacha O’Brien’s father, Aidan, and she produced an even better effort in defeat on her reappearance in the Irish 1000 Guineas, finishing runner-up to Peaceful, faring best of those held up.

There is lots of stamina on the distaff side of her pedigree, so it wasn’t surprising that she progressed again upped to a mile and a quarter in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly last time, showing a good attitude to repel all challengers in a tight finish, reversing the form with Peaceful in the process. 

Fancy Blue will stay further, so it is interesting that connections bypassed the Irish Oaks in favour of this assignment, and she looks a very worthy favourite as she is open to further improvement and receives 9 lb from her elders. 

An outsider to consider

One Voice (16/1)

One Voice showed promise as a two-year-old, winning a Leopardstown maiden on her second and final start of the campaign, and she has continued to progress this season. She was only denied by a nose on her return in a listed event at Navan in June, and she then overcame unfavourable circumstances to win the Blue Wind Stakes at Leopardstown next time, beating Snow – who has since won the Munster Oaks – by half a length. 

One Voice shaped much better than a fifth-place finish would suggest in the Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh last time as she was still going well when meeting trouble over a furlong out. She picked up well once in the clear, finishing with plenty of running left at the line under a hands-and-heels ride, but getting shuffled back at such a crucial stage effectively ended her chance.

This Group 1 represents a much stiffer task, but One Voice is clearly going the right way, will appreciate the return to this trip, and should out-run odds of 16/1. 

A stat to note

Three-year-olds have won the race six times since 2012

There are only two horses from the classic generation represented in this year’s renewal, but as mentioned previously, both have interesting profiles. They each have the Timeform small ‘p’ attached to their rating, denoting that they are open to further improvement, and also receive the handy weight-for-age allowance, which counts for plenty. 

The Verdict

The thriving Nazeef deserves plenty of respect on the back of her success in the Falmouth Stakes, but Fancy Blue can enhance the excellent record three-year-olds enjoy in this contest. She displayed smart form to win the Prix de Diane on her first start at this trip, impressing in all aspects, particularly with her attitude in the closing stages. There should be even more to come and she makes plenty of appeal with Ryan Moore taking over in the saddle. 


Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:

  • 128       Magic Wand
  • 127       Deirdre
  • 127       Nazeef
  • 122p     Fancy Blue
  • 119       Queen Power
  • 118       Lavender's Blue
  • 116p     One Voice