Lady Bowthorpe thoughts turn to Newmarket or Ascot

Sun Chariot could prove preferred destination for Jarvis’ stable star.

William Jarvis has identified Newmarket’s Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes as his preferred target for Lady Bowthorpe, following her disappointing performance at Deauville last weekend.

Jarvis reports his Group One heroine “healthy and sound” after managing only seventh of eight behind surprise winner Grand Glory in the Darley Prix Jean Romanet.

The Newmarket trainer can shed no light on a below-par effort from his otherwise highly-consistent stable star – who travelled to France after victory in Goodwood’s Group One Nassau Stakes, began her campaign by winning Newmarket’s Dahlia Stakes and has run three other fine races this summer.

Lady Bowthorpe has several top-level entries over a mile and 10 furlongs this autumn, and Jarvis is confident all evidence suggests she is equally adept at either distance.

Reflecting on the five-year-old’s Deauville defeat, he said: “Nothing has really come to light. She seems fine, she’s eating well and she’s sound.

“Obviously, it was very disappointing. But that’s horseracing, it happens.

“I can’t really come up with an excuse for it. It just didn’t go our way.

“It went our way at Goodwood, (but) it didn’t in Deauville. We’ve been in it for a long time, we can understand these things.”

Jarvis will take time to consider the next step for Emma Banks’ hugely-popular mare – with the Sun Chariot over a mile on October 2 currently Plan A, a return to France for the Prix de l’Opera ruled out and a choice of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes or Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 16 still possible.

“We’re going to sleep on it,” he said.

“Sometimes, you can’t quite put a finger on it. But the filly has come back healthy and sound, so that’s the main thing.

“She won’t go back to France, I wouldn’t have thought, for the Prix de l’Opera.

“So we’ve got the Sun Chariot as a possible target for her.”

The QEII is also over a mile, while the Champion Stakes would mean staying at 10 furlongs.

Jarvis added: “She ran second in the Lockinge over a mile, (and) she was an unlucky fourth in the Falmouth over a mile, and she’s won a Nassau over a mile and a quarter.

“I think she’s pretty versatile.

“We’ve got those (British Champions Day) races at Ascot. (So), if we’re not pleased with her in time for the Sun Chariot we can wait and take up one of those entries.

“The Ascot races both look very competitive, strong fields. So if she was ready for the Sun Chariot I think we’d take up that option.”

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