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9 Jul 2020

Terebellum seeks Group 1 redemption in Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes

A total of seven have been declared for Friday’s Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes on Newmarket’s July Course.

The John Gosden-trained Terebellum heads a select field and will be looking to avenge her narrow defeat in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. Already successful at Group 2 level at Newmarket in the Dahlia Stakes in June, the lightly raced four-year-old will be partnered by regular jockey, Frankie Dettori.

David O’Meara is hoping Agincourt can provide him and owner Sir Robert Ogden with a second success in the race. The pair teamed up to land the Group 1 contest, which forms part of the 35-race QIPCO British Champions Series, with Amazing Maria in 2015. She took the spoils having landed the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot on her previous start.

Agincourt has used the same race as a stepping stone, although she had to settle for second behind the John Gosden-trained Nazeef in last month’s running.

Nazeef went off at 100/30 at the Royal Meeting, whereas Agincourt was an unconsidered 28/1 chance. O’Meara, who trained his 1,000th Flat winner at Pontefract Racecourse on Tuesday, insists the odds were misleading and that there was no fluke about his five-year-old’s performance.

Nazeef, on the other hand boasts winning form on the July Course and was extending her winning sequence to five in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes. She was one of six winners at Royal Ascot for Jim Crowley, No 1 jockey for her owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, who will be back on board.

Billesdon Brook and One Master both have two Group 1 victories to their name. The former won the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in 2018, plus the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes back on the Rowley Mile last year.

One Master has won the past two renewals of the Qatar Prix de La Foret at Longchamp under Pierre-Charles Boudot and was beaten a neck in last year’s Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes, when the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Veracious beat her a neck. Boudot will travel over from France to resume the partnership.

Aidan O’Brien’s haul of 65 QIPCO British Champions victories includes two Falmouth triumphs with Alice Springs (2016) and Roly Poly (2017) taking the spoils in successive years. He relies on the globetrotting Magic Wand, a Grade 1 winner in Australia last year who was a fine fourth to Ghaiyyath in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown last Sunday.

The seven-runner line-up is completed by bargain buy Under The Stars, who quickly got back to winning ways in Listed company at Haydock on her latest start after finishing sixth behind Love in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas.