Alpha Centauri Returns In Falmouth

[Wandering Eyes]

Fresh from delivering Royal Ascot’s most impressive performance in the G1 Coronation S., ‘TDN Rising Star’ Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) takes to Newmarket’s July festival on Friday to continue her dominion in the G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. Leaping forward off her prior success in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh on May 27, the Niarchos homebred smashed the track record as she surged to a six-length defeat of Threading (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) at the Royal meeting on June 22 and jockey Colm O’Donoghue said he sees no reason to expect a dropping of her momentum here. “She came out of Ascot well, thank god, and seems in very good form so I’m very much looking forward to it,” he said. “I was always very comfortable throughout the Coronation, it was just a matter of how the race unfolded. She’d always shown us an immense amount of ability so I wasn’t surprised she could travel through it like that. Obviously because of how strong the field that she beat looked, it was really very impressive. She’s very mature now, Mrs Harrington has given her all the time in the world and it has stood her in great stead.”

Interestingly, the last filly to win the Irish Guineas and Coronation and attempt to follow up here was Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}) in 2004 and she was turned over at 4-5 by Soviet Song (Ire) (Marju {Ire}). Her trainer Mark Johnston has no pressure this time as he saddles Threading, whose two below-par career efforts came here when seventh in both the G1 Cheveley Park S. behind Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and in the G3 Nell Gwyn S. on Apr. 19, and also the impressive May 27 G2 German 1000 Guineas winner Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch). “The Coronation S. was a great run by Threading, bar the fact that one horse absolutely trounced her,” he said. “There is some hope that Threading can improve upon her Ascot effort, but the main reason for declaring her is that one should never run away from one horse. It is obviously a concern that Threading’s two worst runs have been at Newmarket, albeit on the Rowley Mile rather than the July Course, and I have no idea why that might be. I don’t think that the form of Nyaleti’s win in the German Guineas was particularly strong and it may have been overrated. That said, I also think that many of Nyaleti’s other performances have been underrated, such as when she beat the Derby winner, Masar, at last year’s Royal Ascot, or when she finished half a length behind another Classic winner, Laurens. I will not be at all surprised if Nyaleti finishes in the first three on Friday and, in the longer term, this race fits nicely into her schedule en route to the [Aug. 11 GI] Beverly D S.”

Supporting Cast…

The younger fillies get their turn in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S., with Saif Ali’s unbeaten Main Edition (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) met again by La Pelosa (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) who got closest to her in the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot on June 22. That looks the strongest piece of juvenile fillies’ form around and the fourth and fifth Angel’s Hideaway (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) are also in attendance.

George Strawbridge’s progressive 3-year-old colt Wissahickon (Tapit), a John Gosden-trained half-brother to Rainbow View (Dynaformer), takes in the valuable 10-furlong handicap at the track, while at York Uncle Mo’s half-sister Could It Be Love (War Front) tries again during an industrious period dropping to six furlongs for the G3 Summer S.

 

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