Can anything stop Nassau second See The Fire? Analysis and quotes for Group 3 Strensall Stakes

City of York favourite Audience aside, See The Fire is the highest-rated horse running on the final day of the Ebor meeting. Can anything stop her in the Strensall Stakes?

A career record of 1-7 undersells See The Fire’s achievements. She was precocious enough to be placed in a Fillies’ Mile behind Ylang Ylang at two and has developed into an even better filly at three.

A fourth-placed finish in the Eclipse two starts back behind City Of Troy, Al Riffa and Ghostwriter is reading much better than it did at the time and, with all the plaudits Ryan Moore received for his front-running ride aboard Opera Singer in the Nassau Stakes, See The Fire, who went down on her shield by a neck, can be considered at least on a par with the winner going forward.

This is no ordinary Group 3 for See The Fire to drop into. The Shadwell challenge is a strong one and features one of the unluckiest losers at Glorious Goodwood. Enfjaar ran a 115.6 per cent finishing speed percentage when flashing home for second off top weight in the Chesterfield Cup that kicked off the five-day festival.

No horse produced a quicker turn of foot in the closing stages at the entire meeting and the clock points towards Enfjaar’s readiness for Group assignments. Unlike See The Fire, he ticks the course box as an impressive John Smith’s Cup winner two starts back.

It is curious to see Jim Crowley partnering Alyanaabi over Enfjaar. Alyanaabi folded tamely after setting steady fractions when fourth in a weaker race than this at Newbury and is held by Phantom Flight on that form. Expect a role reversal, with Phantom Flight playing the hare this time. If anything, Alyanaabi has as much to prove as Task Force does at this new 1m1f distance as a notoriously free-going sort.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

Phantom Flight in top shape but will need 'career-best'

See The Fire sets a good standard on her neck second to Opera Singer in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes, but she has not won since her debut as a two-year-old.

Phantom Flight’s form is less glamorous, but he looks to have improved again at the age of five under George Scott’s tutelage and could prove overpriced in the market.

This intermediate trip of 1m1f with a long straight looks tailor-made for Phantom Flight, who didn’t appear to stay 1m4f when attempting that trip for the second time in Goodwood’s Group 3 Glorious Stakes.

Phantom Flight (Callum Shepherd) wins the Steventon Stakes at Newbury

Phantom Flight: course winner expected to go wellCredit: Edward Whitaker

“We’re really looking forward to running him back over this trip,” Scott said. “I’ve been really pleased with him since his last run. He's a course winner, and the longer distance found him out at Goodwood last time out.”

He added: “It is the strongest race he will have run in, but both the track and ground are positives. He will need a career-best to get involved so it will be interesting to see how he fares.”

What they say

Angus Gold, racing manager to Shadwell Estate, owners of Enfjaar and Alyanaabi
Enfjaar is improving and has done really well this year. He won at York two starts ago and was then arguably unlucky not to win again at Goodwood last time. He is a horse on the up and it will be interesting to see how he fares in this company. He’s much calmer and happier this year, and that has been borne out on the course. Alyanaabi drops down a furlong from his last start at Newbury. He was very disappointing that day. He simply never picked up or showed any of his usual spark. He’s fine, and we’ll give him another go.

Marco Botti, trainer of Royal Dubai
He’s in very good order and I think he’ll like the track. He likes fast ground – I know they had some rain on Thursday night, but it should still be on the quick side. He's come on a lot this year. He enjoyed a good winter in Dubai and it was a good effort at Ascot last time where he finished a close fourth in the Summer Mile.

Rossa Ryan, rider of Task Force
He ran a lovely race at Goodwood last time. We're still figuring things out with him, but we're looking forward to seeing how he gets on at this trip.
Reporting by Richard Birch

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