Love and Audarya may head for rematch at Goodwood

Royal Ascot one-two are among 29 Nassau Stakes entries.

Love and Audarya could be in line for a rematch of their epic Royal Ascot clash in the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood next month.

The pair feature among 29 fillies and mares for the July 29 showpiece, having been separated by just three-quarters of a length in their Prince of Wales’s Stakes tussle last week.

Aidan O’Brien’s dual Classic winner Love came out on top – but Breeders’ Cup heroine Audarya pushed her all the way, on what was the seasonal reappearance for both.

After the race, James Fanshawe mentioned the Prix Jean Romanet – which Audarya won last season – and the Nassau as potential options for his daughter of Wootton Bassett.

Updating on plans, the Newmarket trainer said: “Audarya has only been doing steady canters since Royal Ascot, but she seems very well.

“The Prince of Wales’s Stakes was her first run of the year, so you are never totally sure what to expect – and the same applied to Love obviously – but I was just really pleased with her performance and the way she has come out of the race.

“She has a couple of other entries beforehand, but the Qatar Nassau Stakes is a really nice race to aim for. Thanks to the support of Qatar, the prize-money is fantastic, and it usually throws up a good clash between the three-year-olds and the older fillies and mares.”

Snowfall was magnificent in the Oaks
Snowfall was magnificent in the Oaks (John Walton/PA)

O’Brien has a formidable eight-strong team in total, with Love joined by Classic winners Snowfall, Mother Earth, Joan Of Arc and Empress Josephine.

Snow Lantern is a notable entry for Richard Hannon after her fine runner-up effort in the Coronation Stakes.

Also in the potential line-up is the William Jarvis-trained Lady Bowthorpe, who was second in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes after being beaten by only Palace Pier in the Lockinge.

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