Sea Of Grace, the third favourite in some ante post betting markets for next month’s QIPCO 1000 Guineas, will have her first run for trainer William Haggas when she takes part in a superb international renewal of the Group 3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse on Wednesday (19th April).
Formerly trained in Ireland by John Oxx and the winner of the Group 3 Flame Of Tara Stakes over a mile at The Curragh last September, Sea Of Grace will be ridden by Pat Cosgrave when she faces ten opponents in this £60,000 seven furlong contest.
Her rivals will include a pair from the Irish Champion Trainer, Aidan O’Brien, namely the first two home from last season’s Group 1 Connolly’s RED MILLS Cheveley Park Stakes, Brave Anna and Roly Poly, and, from France, Pamplemousse.
Brave Anna must carry a 3lb penalty for that Cheveley Park success and will be partnered by Seamie Heffernan while Roly Poly, previously triumphant in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (sponsored by Imagine Cruising), will be ridden by Ryan Moore.
Pamplemousse, the mount of Pierre-Charles Boudot, has won nothing more than a maiden on her solitary start at Chantilly a fortnight ago. But she is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner, Odeliz, and is trained by Andre Fabre, who has begun the season in fabulous form.
Other members of a Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes field notable for its depth and quality are the Group 3 visionsport.com Oh So Sharp Stakes heroine, Poet’s Vanity, and the Group 3 Prestige Stakes winner, Kilmah.
Strong line-ups have also been declared for the other two feature races on Wednesday – the middle day of the three-day bet365 Craven Meeting.
An eight-runner field for the Group 3 £60,000 bet365 Earl of Sefton Stakes includes both the Betfred Cambridgeshire winner, Spark Plug, and the Betway Lincoln winner, Bravery, while six of the eight declared for the Listed £37,000 bet365 European Free Handicap have already either prevailed in Listed company or been placed in a Group Race.
William Haggas, trainer of Sea Of Grace, said:
“I am excited getting Sea Of Grace on to the track and if she has any pretensions to being a QIPCO 1000 Guineas candidate she will need to run a good race in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes.”
“I have had her since November and she is in good shape, she’s a very straightforward filly. She was a Group winner as a two-year-old so her form is fine and I know that she was held in high regard by Mr Oxx.”
“It looks to be a strong enough race, as you would hope a proper trial would be, and we should find out if she is a genuine Classic contender.”
“I am keen to run her at Newmarket to see how she handles the course although I am convinced that she will be better at a mile. She could stay a bit further, so I have put her in both the Prix de Diane and the Prix Saint-Alary so that we have options over a mile and a quarter.”
