Lady Bowthorpe finally won a Group 1 with a power-packed performance in the Qatar Nassau Stakes. Joan of Arc, sent off the 9/4 joint favourite with Audarya, dictated the gallop under Ryan Moore, with Shoemark content to try and settle Lady Bowthorpe towards the rear of the field on her first start over a mile and a quarter, with only Audarya behind her.
Zeyaadah was the first to move up to challenge Joan of Arc in the straight, but Lady Bowthorpe still appeared to be full of running as she began to make headway down the outside. The only question was how strongly she would finish the race having been campaigned mostly at a mile before today, but she quickly put those doubts to bed as she drew clear in the final furlong, passing the post with a length and a half to spare over Zeyaadah, with Joan of Arc another half a length back in third.
Audarya was never going the pace to trouble the leaders and trailed in fifth of the six runners.
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Jockey Shoemark said:
“I’m pretty speechless. This means so much, not just for me but for Emma and William Jarvis, too. I feel very lucky to be part of it.
“She deserves it – she’s done nothing but improve with age and she’s a credit to Emma, who fills me with absolute confidence.
“I know the filly so well and I can tell what form she is in cantering to the start. She was taking a bit of a hold with me and I knew she was in good form, and she appreciates a bit of give in the ground.
“I know it was her first run over 10 furlongs, but she’d been finishing over a mile really well – her last furlong had been her best furlong – and I wasn’t concerned about that. I knew when we hit the front it was going to a good one to pass us.”
That was the thing that was holding me back – thankfully I’m here. I’ve won a Group One today, but I’m already looking forward to the next one.”
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