Group One Nassau Stakes Guide 2022

Ed Walker’s 5 year old mare started to find her success in handicapping. Finishing her 2 year old season winning a decent handicap at Ascot, she found a mark of 96 difficult to shoulder as a 3 year old.

Moved out of handicap ranks she easily won a group 3 over a mile at Ascot before finding loftier targets too demanding of her abilities to really get competitive.

This season she’s been edged up in trip and it unlocked some serious improvement. Winning a group 2 on seasonal comeback over 9 furlongs, she then backed that up with a decisive group 1 win in France, again over 9 furlongs.

Last seen at the Curragh for the Pretty Polly Stakes she seemed to dislike soft ground and never really got going. A return to a firmer surface should suit and she’s already a group 1 winner.

There could be more to come from this one.

A relatively lightly raced four year old for Sir Michael Stoute, Ville De Grace only made two outings as a juvenile. Running well in both to win a novice before coming a close 2nd under her penalty.

Moved to better races last year, she initially started over 7 furlongs but found the trip too sharp. She shaped similarly in races over a mile, running decently enough but just hinting like the trip wasn’t far enough in a group 3 at Sandown.

She really came into her own when moved to 10 furlongs. Winning a listed race easily before backing that up to beat Lilac Road to a group 3 success at Newmarket.

This season she’s been beaten by two rivals she’ll face here. Dreamloper got the better of her by a nose at Newmarket over 9 furlongs before being beaten by Lilac Road at York last time out.

She doesn’t look likely to reverse either of those form lines here.

A relatively low-key start to life racing, Lilac Road failed to really get involved in deeper races off the back of winning a novice race over a mile.

Last season she did manage to take a step forward, winning a listed race on her seasonal return, she was kept at listed level over a mile and 10 furlongs but failed to be able to shoulder her penalty to gain another success. That was until a narrow success at Sandown.

A decent run in a group 3 rounded out the campaign, however she looked well outclassed at group level on comeback this year at Newmarket.

She built upon that first run though to score a group 2 last time out at York over 10 furlongs. Just edging out Aristia late on. She’s in the form of her life off the back of that win but will have to concede 9lbs to the favourite.

After winning a maiden at the second time of asking when upped to 7 furlongs, she then moved up to group 2 and group 1 targets but found the better races too hard for her to be competitive.

However she did score her group success when winning a group 3 against her own sex before being well outclassed by Inspiral at Newmarket.

She looked to be regaining the winning thread as a 3 year old when scoring a listed race over 10 furlongs on her first start, the form of that win looks smart enough.

Dropping in trip for the Irish 1000 Guineas saw her run well enough to be 3rd and again she shaped well to move up in trip and be 4th in the Oaks.

She’s filled the 4th place spot in both of her last two outings at group 1 level. Good outings coming in the Pretty Polly Stakes and most recently in the Belmont Oaks over in America.

She just looks slightly below group 1 quality.

Richard Hannon’s 4 year old debuted last year and made the perfect start to life racing when winning her maiden at a big price.

Upped in grade after securing her first win she didn’t look quite good enough for listed and group company at first until scoring a win against Alpine Star in the listed EBF Lyric Fillies’ Stakes.

Being beaten in group company again at the end of the season, she continued that trend on her first outing of this season to find Lilac Road too good at York, settling for 2nd.

Since dropping to listed level but taking on the boys, she was well beaten in the Wolverton Stakes and will need to show a lot more here to have a chance.

A lightly raced sort for Kevin Ryan, she failed to win in either of her two outings as a 2 year old in maiden company. Being tried over 7.5 furlongs and a mile she ran well enough to be 3rd and 2nd respectively.

Returning in maiden company for her first outing of this season she again had to settle for 2nd place when denied by a neck by Crenelle.

Surprisingly she was moved up to listed level over a mile last time out and broke her maiden in a listed race at York, getting the better of Grande Dame.

She looks like going up in trip will suit but this will ask a new question of her ability.

Hot off the back of French classic success, Nashwa looks to emulate the likes of Fancy Blue by doing the Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes double.

Nashwa was beaten in her only outing as a 2 year old but made amends when handily winning her first start this season in novice company by a wide margin over a mile.

Sent up to listed company off the back of that she justified a short price to pick up black type success at Newbury over 10 furlongs.

A decent enough outing in the Oaks saw her finish 3rd, not quite able to follow Emily Upjohn and Tuesday in the closing stages. However, dropping back down to a mile and a quarter to score her classic win to take the French equivalent.

She’s already a short price here and looks the one to beat on paper.

Only seen four times on a racecourse, this 3 year old made her debut back in April when scoring smartly enough over 10 furlongs at Wetherby.

Moved up in class after her debut win saw her take the listed Oaks trail at Lingfield narrowly from Mystic Wells before finding the classic itself too hard to get truly involved in. Coming 7th, well beaten behind Tuesday.

Dropped in grade and trip last time out she fared better to be 2nd to Poptronic at Newcastle on the all-weather over 10 furlongs. She looks like she’ll find group 1 level too hot to handle again.

Making her debut over in Ireland at Gowran Park in May, One For Bobby scored at the first time of asking for connections and backed that up at a low level next time out. Both wins came over 9.5 furlongs.

Taken to listed level over 10 furlongs off the back of those wins, she was sent off a warm favourite but only managed to beat one rival home with no real excuses.

Last seen in group 2 company, she fared better, dropped in trip back to 9 furlongs but again looked outclassed and came 3rd. She looks up against it to have any real solid chances in this warm looking group 1.