Fev Rover continues progression with starring role at Sandown

Ashley Iveson
July 22, 2020 12:30 pm

Form boost for Dandalla from fellow Nick Bradley Racing-owned filly.

Connections of Fev Rover are considering options at home and abroad for her next assignment following her Listed triumph at Sandown on Tuesday evening.

After chasing home the exciting Method on her Doncaster debut, Richard Fahey’s filly came close to upsetting fellow Nick Bradley Racing-owned juvenile Dandalla in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket, with just a head splitting the pair at the line.

Fev Rover proved that performance was no fluke at Sandown – successfully stepping up to seven furlongs to win the Star Stakes with something to spare.

Fev Rover gets off the mark at the third time of asking after landing the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Star Stakes in the hands of Ben Curtis, for @RichardFahey 👏 pic.twitter.com/YlKuw6M3DC
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) July 21, 2020

Bradley said: “We were delighted with her performance. I think she beat two smart fillies into second and third – Mark Johnston’s filly (Dubai Fountain) that finished second was well backed and Setarhe is a proper filly.

“The first time Fev Rover went on grass was when she ran at Doncaster, so we knew she’d improve a lot for it and we knew she’d improve again from the run at Newmarket.

“I think the key to her is an uphill finish – she really takes off and handles it better than a lot of two-year-olds would.

“I believe the time of the race was very good and hopefully there’s a lot to look forward to.”

Dandalla remains on course for the Prix Morny (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Fev Rover’s victory is an obvious a boost to Dandalla’s form, with Bradley adamant the latter was not at her best on the July Course earlier in the month, having previously dominated her rivals in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He added: “To be fair to Fev Rover, the penny was only just dropping at the end of the Newmarket race. Having said that, I’m 100 per cent certain Dandalla wasn’t at her best on the day. Hopefully we won’t have to run the two of them against each other again.

“The plan for Dandalla is to go straight to the Prix Morny, while Fev Rover could run in the Sweet Solera at Newmarket and there is also the Prix du Calvados at Deauville.

“The Sweet Solera is on August 8 and the Prix du Calvados is on August 22, so she could do the two, but I think it’s more likely she’ll run in one or the other.”