Legatissimo cruises to Qatar Nassau Stakes win

Legatissimo and Wayne Lordan on their way to Qatar Nassau Stakes success. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com

Legatissimo gained compensation for narrow defeats in the Investec Oaks and the Sea The Stars Pretty Polly Stakes when running out a ready winner of the Qatar Nassau Stakes on the final day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. David Wachman’s 1000 Guineas winner beat Wedding Vow – who also ran in the silks of Michael Tabor – by two and a quarter lengths with a further length and a half back to Arabian Queen in third.

Legatissimo had gone agonisingly close to completing the Guineas-Oaks double but was run down in the final strides by a stouter stayer at Epsom, while she had looked unlucky behind Diamondsandrubies at the Curragh last time having conceded first run to that rival. Supporters of Legatissimo didn’t lose the faith, however, and the 2/1 favourite could be called the likely winner from some way out as she loomed up travelling powerfully a couple of furlongs from home. Wayne Lordan – deputising for the injured Ryan Moore – asked Legatissimo to quicken on the approach to the final furlong and the response was instantaneous as his filly surged clear. Wedding Vow emerged from the pack as the only possible challenger, but Legatissimo was finding plenty and never looked in danger of being caught.

Winning rider Wayne Lordan was understandably full of praise for his mount in the aftermath. “She’s a high-class filly and has plenty of speed. She quickened up well when I asked her”.

Legatissimo – rated 5 lb clear of her rivals on pre-race Timeform ratings – brought the strongest form into the race courtesy of her impressive win in the 1000 Guineas and it’s likely that she ran to something near her best Timeform rating of 121 in impressively swatting aside a number of fillies with form at the highest level. There have been some high-class winners of the Nassau Stakes this century, notably Ouija Board, Midday and The Fugue, and whilst Legatissimo will need to do more to rank alongside those stars fillies she is certainly an up-to-scratch winner of the race. The key point in regards to Legatissimo and her success this season, though, has been her ability to show very smart form over a variety of distances, and she has to rate as one of the most versatile, consistent and likeable fillies of recent years.

With Legatissimo proven over a variety of trips, David Wachman will have plenty of options as he weighs up her next target: “She has a lot of options, she could go for the Matron, she could go anywhere, there’s plenty of good races for fillies and mares”.