Legatissimo Strikes for Stylish Nassau Win
Description:
QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) winner Legatissimo bounced back from two narrow defeats and won the Qatar Nassau Stakes (Eng-I) by a comfortable margin Aug. 1 at Goodwood.
Coolmore-associated partners' 3-year-old Danehill Dancer filly raced near the back of the field early and closed into contention with a quarter mile to run before exploding to the front more than a furlong out. With Wayne Lordan aboard, she stayed on easily to win by 2 1/4 lengths from Coolmore's Wedding Vow, with Arabian Queen 1 1/2 lengths back in third.
Legatissimo, the 2-1 favorite, covered about 1 1/4 miles in 2:06.04 on firm turf, improving her career line to 4-3-0 from nine career starts.
Trained by David Wachman, Legatissimo captured the first fillies' classic of the season, the One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, before just being beaten when a nose runner-up in both the Investec Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) June 5 and the Pretty Polly Stakes (Ire-I) June 28.
"Legatissimo was very good and Wayne gave her great ride," Wachman said. "She would have won in another stride the last day (in the Pretty Polly) and it is great to see her win today.
"She showed a really good turn of foot, just as she did in the Guineas, and I would say anything between a mile and 10 furlongs is ideal for her.
"There are plenty of options for her between now and the end of the year. We could think about taking on the boys, but I will have to speak to the owners first."
Bred in Ireland by Newsells Park Stud, Legatissimo was produced by the winning Montjeu mare Yummy Mummy, a full sister to European champion stayer and Irish classic winner Fame And Glory. Coolmore's M. V. Magnier bought her for 350,000 guineas (US$591,565 ) out of Book 1 at the 2013 Tattersalls October yearling sale.
Winning co-owner Michael Tabor, whose colors were also carried by Wedding Vow (trained by Aidan O'Brien), said of Legatissimo: "She is very good and she showed her true worth today, which we always thought she had. I think she has been a bit unlucky this year.
"I didn't really mind which filly won, although having said that, I would have preferred this filly to win—I think she deserves it. I like to think the well-bred fillies can do the trick."