Lucida and Fintry double Godolphin’s chances at Falmouth Stakes

Lucida is considered the better proposition after her third-place finish in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, though, in the later, under Kevin Manning, Lucida looked far from straightforward.

Godolphin horse Fintry races with jockey Mickael Barzalona aboard. FRANK SORGE/Racingfotos.com

Godolphin launch a twin-pronged attack on the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on Friday night.

The Dubai-based operation are represented in the 1,600-metre event by Lucida, trained by Jim Bolger in Ireland, and Fintry, who has crossed the Channel for Andre Fabre.

Lucida is considered the better proposition after her second to Legatissimo in the English 1,000 Guineas in May and a third-place finish in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, though, in the later, under Kevin Manning, Lucida looked far from straightforward.

Manning held up the daughter of Shamardal, the dual French Classic winner, and when he unleashed his mount she lugged to the right to try to find cover.

Read more:

In such circumstances to finish just under a length to Ervedya, the French 1,000 Guineas winner, was no disgrace but Lucida has it all to prove now.

Fintry, on the other hand, looks to have been underestimated after she beat fellow French raider Avenir Certain by half a length in a Group 3 race at Chantilly last month.

Fintry will be partnered by Mikael Barzalona, while Avenir Certain will have the assistance of Christophe Soumillon.

The French have won the Falmouth Stakes four times in the past two decades and have a third string in the shape of Bawina, who will be saddled by Carlos Laffon-Parias and ridden by Maxime Guyon.

The nine-runner field includes last year’s winner Integral, who was disappointing behind Amazing Maria, who also runs, in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, as well as Team Valor’s Euro Charline.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid will rely on Muhaarar and Muthmir in tomorrow’s Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket after both were declared runners yesterday.

Muhaarar will be ridden by Paul Hanagan, while Dane O’Neill will get the leg up by trainer William Haggas on Muthmir.

Godolphin’s Brazen Beau is also in the line-up of 15 runners, as is Sole Power.

Both will be on a recovery mission for the Minister Of Finance after Mahsoob’s defeat in the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket yesterday.

Big Orange produced a shock when the outsider rallied in the final furlong to win the race.

Jamie Spencer set the pace on the Michael Bell-trained four-year-old but looked as though he was going to be swamped at the business end.

Once his stamina kicked in, though, Big Orange found more under pressure to claim Group 2 honours by half-a-length. Second Step was second, with Gospel Choir just a head farther back.

Mashood, ridden by Paul Hanagan, finished a disappointing sixth in the field of eight.

“He did well,” Spencer said. “We went a nice even gallop, I stepped it up from the five and kept stretching and stretching.

“When Ryan (Moore, on Gospel Choir) came to me he didn’t get away from me. He only went a head or a neck up.

“We were in good shape then because I hadn’t gone for everything.

“In fairness, he knuckled down well in the final furlong. Michael was very happy with the horse. We were tilting at windmills a little bit looking at the form, but when a horse is telling the trainer he’s happy, then you’ve got to take a chance and have a go and it worked out well.”

Bell said: “This was a nice surprise. He’d get a penalty in the Goodwood Cup, so where he will go next I don’t know.

“I’d love to go to Melbourne with him one day, but that’s another conversation.”

Follow us on Twitter at NatSportUAE