Irish raider Mamba Noire boasts the best form among a high class field of nine runners for the Group 3 German-Thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket’s Adnams July Course on Saturday (12th August).
This seven furlong contest for two-year-old fillies boasts prize money of £40,000 and is being sponsored by German-Thoroughbred.com for an eighth consecutive year.
Trained in County Kildare by Ken Condon, Mamba Noire proved her liking for the Adnams July Course last month when finishing strongly into third place, two and a quarter lengths behind the winner, Clemmie, in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes (sponsored by bet365) over six furlongs.
And that form received a big boost when the runner-up, Nyaleti, went on to register a crushing five length victory in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot.
Mamba Noire also came up against Clemmie on her previous outing, when the pair finished third and first in the Group 3 Grangecon Stud Stakes at The Curragh.
One of her main rivals on Saturday will be Dance Diva, already a Listed race scorer on the Adnams July Course in the Betway Empress Stakes back on 1st July. But, following her subsequent second place finish in the Princess Margaret, Richard Fahey’s charge has almost five lengths to find with Mamba Noire on a line through Nyaleti.
The other Listed winner in the line-up is last month’s Star Stakes heroine, Tajaanus, one of two representatives in the field for trainer Richard Hannon alongside Mayyasah.
Winner of her only start at Newbury, Mayyasah is one of three fillies putting unbeaten records on the line in this contest. The others are Charlie Appleby’s Poetic Charm, successful in a traditionally strong maiden over this course and distance at the Moët and Chandon July Festival, and the Marco Botti-trained Capla Temptress, who proved her ability to handle soft ground when scoring over this track and trip three weeks ago.
Following 33 millimetres of rain yesterday (Wednesday) the going on the Adnams July Course is ‘soft’ but there is a predominantly dry forecast up to and including race day.
Ken Condon, trainer of Mamba Noire, said:
“Mamba Noire has been a busy, with two trips to England and a run at the Curragh in quick succession, but she’s had a bit of time since the Duchess Of Cambridge and this race fits very well into her schedule.”
“She had other options in France and here in Ireland, but the fact that she ran so well at the July Course last time out was a strong factor in plumping for this race. The Duchess Of Cambridge was her career best, as I know that Clemmie is held in very high regard and Nyaleti was impressive at Ascot.”
“Mamba Noire’s jockeys have been suggesting that she needs a step up in trip as she had been very strong at the finish in her last two races. Although her pedigree suggests that she is more about speed her style of running suggests otherwise.”
“I initially viewed her as a fast ground filly, but then she clearly found the going much too firm at Royal Ascot, so I am not concerned about the cut in the ground, it might well suit her. But if it became deep ground, combined with her going over an extra furlong, that might just find her out.”
