Crimplene proved just what a tough filly she is with a sparkling performance to land her third Group One success of the season when taking the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood today.
Stepped up to a mile and a quarter for the first time, the Clive Brittain-trained filly was sent off the 7-4 favourite and never gave her backers a single moment of worry as she beat Ela Athena by a length and three-quarters with Princess Ellen a further two and a half lengths back in third.
Having already landed the German 2000 Guineas, it`s Irish equivalent and the Coronation Stakes, Crimplene confirmed her class and is now set to battle with the colts, with a trip to the Breeders` Cup at Churchill Downs her eventual target.
However, her trainer may give Crimplene a quick return to the races with next weekend`s Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville a possibility.
'She thrives on her racing,' said a delighted Brittain. 'There was not much time between the Italian, German and Irish races and they did her no harm.'
The Newmarket trainer was confident that Crimplene would have no problems with the trip and was happy to let Philip Robinson ride it as he found it.
'I left it up to Philip, ' he said.
'If they went too slow we were going to go on. If they went too fast we were going to sit as she`s got the turn of foot and can come from behind.
'The odds were in our favour because we`ve got a class animal.
'She`s an unusual filly. She gets better as she races. That`s why I had to take her to Yarmouth recently to give her a proper racecourse gallop.
'She needed that to get her going. She`d had a hard time and I`d then given her an easy time. I had to be sure she was there.'
Andreas Michael, owner of the runner-up felt his filly was unlucky in defeat.
'In another 50 yards she would have won easily,' he claimed.
'It did not help her that she had to lead early on and she did not come down the hill either.'
Michael confirmed his filly would make another bid for the Yorkshire Oaks having finished runner-up in the race last year.
'She will be the one they all have to beat,' he said.
Another not happy about how the raced panned out for his charge was Princess Ellen`s trainer Gerard Butler.
'It was a messy race but all credit to Crimplene who is a very good filly and has done really well,' he said.
Pat Eddery who returned to race-riding yesterday following a series of suspensions got back into winning form as Adilabad (100-30) caught 11-10 favourite Summoner to land the Listed Vodafone Thoroughbred Stakes.
The victorious Aga Khan-owned colt was providing trainer Sir Michael Stoute with his 50th success at Glorious Goodwood.
'He is a really nice horse,' Eddery said.
'He ran a bit too free in the Craven and has been off for a long time since then but he really got down to the job and he will get a mile and a quarter.'
Another trainer reaching the half-century of Goodwood winners was Fulke Johnson Houghton who reached the landmark when Forever My Lord (15-2) took the opening Vodafone Nursery Stakes holding on from fast finishing 9-4 favourite Dance On Top by half a length under Jimmy Quinn.
