The Fugue delivers another big victory for Gosden

The Fugue swoops past the front-running Timepiece to win the Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes for jockey Richard Hughes. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

John Gosden enjoyed his third QIPCO British Champions Series victory of the season at Goodwood this afternoon when The Fugue powered home to take the Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes, race five in the Fillies & Mares division.

The Newmarket trainer also saddled the favourite, Izzi Top, ridden by stable jockey William Buick, but she faded out of contention inside the final furlong as Richard Hughes brought The Fugue with a withering late run to claim the long-time leader, Timepiece, with a hundred yards to run.

Timepiece, last year’s Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes winner, came right back to form to finish second, with the Investec Oaks winner, Was, in third.

The Fugue had done remarkably well to finish third in the Oaks after nearly falling early in the race and comprehensively turned that form around with Was over the mile and a quarter Nassau Stakes trip.

Hughes said: "That’s what you call a good spare ride. She’s a beautiful filly and she floats across the ground.

"The more I pulled her back, the more she wanted to go – she was like an elastic band ready to quicken.

"The ones I had to beat were no more than three lengths in front of me, so I didn’t have to worry.

"I feel sorry for William (Buick) as it’s very hard to choose between these fillies, but she was very good today."

It was a sixth Group One winner in a magnificent season for Gosden. The Newmarket trainer said: "If anyone deserved to win a Group One race, it was her.

"There is no point talking about the Oaks any more, but it was a pretty horrific affair.

"Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd Webber (owners) were keen to come here. I walked the track and gave them a call and we decided we should run.

"She got stuck in the ground at Royal Ascot, but she showed her class – I thought Richard gave her a typically chilly ride.

"She’s got very small ballerina feet and she’s a beautiful mover. She’s as smooth as silk and Richard enjoyed riding her.

"We were all worried there was no pace on and Izzi Top got stuck three wide and was pulling all the way.

"She ran with the choke out but that’s life – in small fields this can happen. William has done nothing wrong. He has chosen a Group One winner, which he had to, but he’s been torn apart.

"He wanted to ride both of them but you’re not allowed to do that. The Fugue is in the Yorkshire Oaks and she’s been freshened.

"I asked Richard what he felt about the Yorkshire Oaks and he said, ‘You must’."

Connections of Timepiece, from the in-form Sir Henry Cecil stable, were delighted with her run.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner Prince Khalid Abdulla, said: "She ran a really good race. I thought for a moment she might have stolen it, but she’s just been turned over at the end.

"She’s actually been improving all season and she’ll have options in France and here until the end of the season."

Trainer Aidan O’Brien said of Was: "She ran a very good race and the Yorkshire Oaks could be an option."