Mehdaayih Deserves Attention for Dettori and Gosden in Nassau

The Nassau Stakes brings together the best fillies and mares in a great Group One contest. Heading the market is Hermosa, who won both the English and Irish Guineas, and she obviously deserves a ton of respect in this contest. However, going up two furlongs takes her into the unknown, especially as her running style will have her either leading or up close to the pace. Behind her there may be value with the other contenders and the one I like is Mehdaayih, who doesn’t have the same kind of form in the book but has really impressed us once this season.

I don’t have this down as a two horse race between those two, but I do think they are the most likely winners. I do like Maqsad on the drop back to 1m2f after failing to stay the Oaks trip. Go back to her win before when she bolted up in a listed contest and she was one of the most exciting fillies of the season.

Mehdaayih is another horse dropping back in trip, but not because she didn’t get home over 1m4f. However, I do think this trip will suit her better and we will see her in a better light here. She won’t have any problems with the pace, she travels really well in her races and that can bring her into contention before hopefully her staying power gets her home in front.

She won the Cheshire Oaks in very taking style like she was about to burst onto the scene as a top class filly, but had no chance in the Oaks with a really poor run through, which eventually left her in 7th position. Staying at 1m4f, she won a French Group Two last time out in comfortable fashion to confirm her ability, and is now back up to Group One level for this race.

The favourite Hermosa has the best form in the book, there is no doubt about that but it is the trip that concerns me with her. She will be out near the lead here if she doesn’t lead herself, and that means she will need to really get this. When looking for horses who seem ready to step up in trip you usually look for horses who are staying on strongly and have more to give, she doesn’t strike me as that type which leaves a question mark hanging over her for me.

That is enough to look elsewhere, Mehdaayih is the one that stands out and on her Cheshire Oaks form she should not be too far away from being involved in this race.