January will line up in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Sunday as the month-long festival gets underway in France.
Almost a year has passed since the second of January's two career wins but the Kingman filly has contested Group 1 races on her last four starts; finishing second twice (in the Fillies' Mile at two and the Falmouth Stakes last time), third in the Coronation Stakes with her reappearance eighth in the 1000 Guineas the only blot.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien, who is double handed with Exactly, said after her run at Newmarket: “A mile is really her trip. We’re getting closer step by step. It’s always a little frustrating to come so close, but she ran very well. She’s improving, and we’re on the right path."
O’Brien’s son, Donnacha, travels Atsila who was over four lengths adrift in the Falmouth.
The Prix Rothschild is the first of five Group 1s at France’s extended version of Royal Ascot and is for fillies and mares over the same straight mile as the festival's showpieces, the Prix Jacques le Marois, in two weeks' time.
Christophe Head, son of Freddy who trained four-time Prix Rothschild winner Goldikova, supplemented Start Of Day on Thursday.
"She ran well in England [fifth in Royal Ascot’s Duke of Cambridge Stakes] last time. She gets the 1600 [metres] no problem and the aim is to get her ready for the Prix Jean Romanet [2000m], which is her main summer objective," explained Head to the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
There is confidence behind the Godspeed who bounced back from a poor run in the French 1000 Guineas [Poule d’Essai des Pouliches] to land the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly in June.
"Unfortunately, she had a dreadful draw in the French Guineas, but she showed her true class in her next race," reflected Yann Lerner, co-trainer with his father Carlos.
Francis-Henri Graffard hopes to continue his fine season with Mandanaba. Third in the French 1000 Guineas she drops back in trip after just missing out on a place in the French Oaks [Prix de Diane].
Graffard is also represented by Matilda, having her first run since moving yards following her explosive win against the colts in the German 2000 Guineas [Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen] .
John and Thady Gosden send over Falmouth Stakes third Crimson Advocate and Spiritual, last seen winning the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom.
While Crimson Advocate may not be ideally suited by the forecast soft ground, that is not the case for the Karl Burke-trained Fallen Angel. Last year’s Irish 1000 Guineas winner bypassed Thursday’s Nassau Stakes at Goodwood for the more suitable underfoot conditions in France.
"She’s in great form," revealed Richard Brown, racing advisor to owner Wathnan Racing.
"Even though we’re keen to try her over 2000 metres, we know that on softer ground, she has enough speed to run very well over the mile," Burke added.
Fallen Angel, according to her trainer, is "getting a bit lazy with age" and so now runs equipped with blinkers to keep her mind on the job.
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