Qatar Nassau Stakes

Group 1, Goodwood 15:35
£600,000 added,
Fillies & Mares, 3yo plus,
1m 1f 197y, Class 1   
Thursday 1st August 2019

1 Deirdre 20/1
2 Mehdaayih 3/1
3 Rawdaa 6/1
9 ran Distances: 1¼l, 1¼l, 2½l
Time: 2m 2.93s (fast by 0.07s)

Deirdre’s victory in the Qatar Nassau Stakes was a superb result for her homeland of Japan and a significant one for international racing.

Ridden by Oisin Murphy, the five-year-old mare pulled off a 20/1 shock, but she beat a top-class field fair and square, becoming the first runner and winner for Japan at Goodwood, and only the second Japanese-trained winner in Britain, following Agnes World’s victory in the 2000 Darley July Cup at Newmarket.

The Mitsuru Hashida-trained winner scored by one and a quarter lengths and the same from pace-setting Mehdaayih, the mount of Frankie Dettori, and Rawdaa, ridden by Danny Tudhope. Hermosa was the unplaced 13/8 favourite.

Murphy, who is leading Britain’s Stobart Jockeys’ Championship with 86 winners, three clear of Tudhope, formed contacts in Japan during a visit there in January when he rode in a number of races. He said: “I’m so glad the Japanese have bought a horse here and she has performed. I’ve been telling people since I came back from Japan of the regard they hold their horses in, and it’s fantastic they have won a Group One race here – she was already a Group One winner, but it is great to do it in Britain.

“I can’t tell you how pleased and thrilled I am for all the connections.”

Deirdre was undertaking her second start in Britain after finishing sixth in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. She is a daughter of the stallion Harbinger, who raced in Britain and won the 2010 G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes before being sold to Japanese breeding interests.

Murphy added: “I had a lovely draw beside Mehdaayih, and Hermosa was just on my outside. I would have liked to have sat a bit closer but couldn’t go the pace. There was no pressure on me and so I rode her as I felt from instinct. It paid off, she picked up really well and I was able to use that fresh strip of ground on the rail.

“She’s a big, masculine mare, a real physical, and I’m not surprised she was able to carry the 60 kilo [9st 7lb] which is far more than she would be used to carrying in Japan. I kept looking at her price, but thinking she had a wonderful chance. She worked brilliant, but to go and win against a decent field was something else.

“Hopefully we will see more horses from Japan coming over. Northern Farm, which bred this mare, has some wonderful pedigrees and this is a huge result. When in Japan I was spoilt because I rode great horses every morning.”

Qatar Nassau Stakes
(British Champions Series)
£600,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 1f 197y, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Good

NO. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 (4)      Deirdre 5 9-7 Mitsuru Hashida Oisin Murphy 20/1
2 (3) 1¼ Mehdaayih 3 8-13 John Gosden Frankie Dettori 3/1
3 (9) 1¼ Rawdaa 4 9-7 Sir Michael Stoute Daniel Tudhope 6/1
4 (1) 2½ Sun Maiden 4 9-7 Sir Michael Stoute James Doyle 14/1
5 (7) ¾ Just Wonderful 3 8-13 A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan 20/1
6 (6) 1½ Nyaleti 26 C 4 9-7 Mark Johnston Joe Fanning 50/1
7 (8) ½ Channel 3 8-13 F-H Graffard Pierre-Charles Boudot 11/1
8 (2) 2¾ Maqsad 3 8-13 William Haggas Jim Crowley 15/2
9 (5) 38 Hermosa 3 8-13 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 13/8F