Horse Racing Betting Tips: Maqsad can serve it up to Hermosa in Nassau Stakes
THERE isn’t a race I have been looking forward to more all week than this afternoon’s Qatar Nassau Stakes (3.35pm).
When the entries first came out my eyes were immediately drawn to dual 1000 Guineas winner HERMOSA who finally steps up to the trip she has seemingly been crying out for.
The daughter of Galileo proved that her Newmarket success was no fluke by following up in even more emphatic fashion at the Curragh.
However, it was in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last time where she looked worth upping in distance.
She appeared to be tapped for toe by eventual winner Watch Me before running on well to grab second.
Today’s 1m2f looks the ideal trip and she will have plenty of supporters at 15/8 with Coral.
My decision to take her on is purely on grounds of price as she is undoubtedly a very smart filly.
William Haggas’ MAQSAD surged towards the top of the Investec Oaks betting when bolting up in the Pretty Polly Stakes over this trip at the Guineas meeting.
She then travelled like the best filly for much of the race over 1m4f at Epsom before her stamina gave way in the final two furlongs.
Connections opted to bypass a trip to Royal Ascot to come here fresh and their patience may well be rewarded at 7/1 in a place.
The drop back to this trip looks bang up her street and she has the potential to give the favourite a real fright.
Another filly unable to show her best at Epsom was John Gosden’s MEHDAAYIH who was sent off the 11/4 favourite.
She couldn’t have found a more troubled passage if she tried and that was one of those runs you simply have to put a line through.
Prior to that she was incredibly impressive when landing the Cheshire Oaks by four and a half lengths and since then she has won a Group Two at Saint-Cloud in comfortable fashion.
She also has the added bonus of man of the moment Frankie Dettori in the saddle, who is showing no signs whatsoever of getting bored of winning these Group Ones week in week out.
The French filly Channel is another who needs a mention following her gutsy win in the French Oaks last month.
That was a big step up on what she had achieved previously in her career, but there was no arguing about the way she did it.
This track will seem slightly strange to her, though, and as a daughter of Nathaniel she won’t want the ground to dry out too much.
The Classic generation have won six of the last seven renewals and that is no major surprise with the older fillies and mares having to concede 8lbs to their younger rivals.
That is a tough ask at this time of year and it would be a shock to me if there wasn’t another three-year-old winner.
Sir Michael Stoute’s pair, Rawdaa and Sun Maiden, are the most likely contenders from the older generation and of the two, I would definitely favour the former.
She ran well to be second in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot and will relish the return to 1m2f here, but I still think she has her work cut out.
Another all-female race of the day is the Magnolia Cup charity race, where there’s an exciting group of amateur lady riders taking part.
There’s an incredible story this year as Khadijah Mellah, an 18-year-old British Muslim student from Peckham who learnt to ride at the charity Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, lines up against the likes of Olympian Victoria Pendleton and model Vogue Williams.
Khadijah’s journey is being captured in a documentary called Riding a Dream, which is being jointly funded by Great British Racing, Goodwood Racecourse and The Racing Foundation.
It promises to be a day to remember for Khadijah and I’m sure everyone will be cheering her on.
BILL ESDAILE’S NASSAU STAKES 1-2-3
1 MAQSAD
2 HERMOSA
3 MEHDAAYIH