See The Fire primed to go one better than last year at Goodwood See The Fire Eyes Redemption in Nassau Stakes Andrew Balding’s See The Fire is set to return to Goodwood for another shot at the Group One Visit Qatar Nassau Stakes, where a victory could pave her path to the Breeders’ Cup later this year. The four-year-old was narrowly beaten in the race last season by Opera Singer but returned stronger this year with a commanding 12-length victory in the Middleton Stakes at York. She further cemented her form with a strong third-place finish in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. “She’s a beautifully-bred filly, by Sea The Stars, who won a Juddmonte International, out of Arabian Queen, who also won a Juddmonte International,” Balding said. “She’s always looked a very smart filly. As a three-year-old, we didn’t really see the best of her until we got to the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, where she was narrowly beaten.” Reflecting on Ascot, Balding added: “We thought she ran a super race at Ascot, against the boys, in the Prince of Wales’s.” He explained the team has been preparing See The Fire specifically for another go at the Nassau, hoping to go one better this time around. Breeders’ Cup on the Horizon for Balding’s Star The Nassau Stakes serves as a “Win and You’re In” event for the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar in November, which makes the stakes even higher. “The win and you’re in incentive is very important for any owner, it certainly pushes the Breeders’ Cup to the forefront of your priorities,” said Balding. While cautious about long-range plans, the trainer did confirm it’s a major autumn target. “It really depends on how she is training at the end of the season, and what happens between now and then, but it’s very much on the shortlist,” he added. Balding concluded: “It would be lovely to think one day we would have a horse good enough to be competitive in a Breeders’ Cup race. We’ve had a couple of runners so far but no joy, so it’s something very much that we are striving to achieve.”
