Halfway To Heaven one of Ten for the Nassau Aidan O'Brien goes for his 17th Group One win of the season when Halfway To Heaven faces nine rivals in the Blue Square Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday. The filly has already contributed to the trainer's impressive tally by landing the Irish 1000 Guineas on her latest start. The daughter of Pivotal steps up to a mile and a quarter for the first time as she bids to follow up Ballydoyle's win with Peeping Fawn 12 months ago. O'Brien has taken out his other four remaining entries but there is another strong Irish candidate in Lush Lashes. Jim Bolger's charge opened her account at the highest level in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot but showed she stayed this distance when winning the Musidora Stakes at York in May. Sir Michael Stoute has won this race seven times and he relies on the five-year-old Heaven Sent this time, while Henry Cecil goes for win number six with Passage Of Time. A star-studded line-up is completed by Majestic Roi, Soft Morning, Cape Amber, Muthabara, Sugar Mint and Classic Remark. The latter will try to uphold family honour after her half-sister Cassydora was runner-up to Alexander Goldrun three years ago. But her trainer Harry Dunlop is praying for rain as she graduates to the highest level after springing a 40-1 surprise in a Listed race at Newcastle on good to soft ground last month. "She's on target for the Nassau, but we do want some rain. She doesn't want the ground rattling, but if we get good ground then certainly we'll go. It's a big step up obviously, but we're very hopeful of a nice run. They are forecast some rain so we are doing some rain dances," said the Lambourn-based handler. "She's done very well since Newcastle and we couldn't be more pleased. She had a quiet time and we've brought her up for this race, her sister was second in it so it's fingers crossed."
