Audarya all set for Romanet defence

Fanshawe mare heading back to Deauville at the weekend.

Audarya will head to Deauville at the weekend to defend her crown in the Prix Jean Romanet.

James Fanshawe’s five-year-old took the Group One contest by a neck last season, a first victory at the highest grade and one that paved the way to a thrilling success in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in November.

Royal Ascot was the scene of the mare’s seasonal comeback in June, where she took on Aidan O’Brien’s top-class filly Love in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and was beaten by just three-quarters of a length at 10-1.

A subsequent run in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood in July ended in disappointment as Audarya finished fifth of the six runners, but Fanshawe reports that nothing was amiss afterwards and that the bay is ready to bounce back to form.

“She’s well, she’ll be going to the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville at the weekend,” he said.

“She seems to have come out of Goodwood in good form and the plan is go for the race on Sunday now.”

William Buick took the ride on Audarya at Goodwood and pointed to the good to soft going as a possible cause for the below-par run, but Fanshawe cited her previous wins on soft ground and does not think the conditions were a factor.

“She’s won on soft ground so I don’t think we can say it’s that,” he said.

“She was well afterwards and nothing came to light.

“It’s just something we will draw a line under hopefully, she seems very well and in great form, we’re really looking forward to running on Sunday.”

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