Wonderful Whirl powers to Nassau Stakes glory

Aidan O’Brien’s Whirl dominated the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, to record her second Group One success of the season.

The previous race, the Gordon Stakes, was subject to a small delay due to a torrential downpour and when almost 30 millimetres of rain fell in half an hour, the going was changed to heavy.

With lightning in the area, too, the starting stalls were deemed too dangerous to use and following a flag start Ryan Moore took the bull by the horns and sent the Oaks runner-up into the lead.

The Musidora and Pretty Polly winner, who lost out only narrowly at Epsom to stablemate Minnie Hauk, was always in control and while See The Fire briefly looked a threat, Moore had saved plenty and Whirl pulled five lengths clear as the 6-5 favourite. Cecerne, a surprise winner of the Coronation Stakes, kept on well for second on her first run over 10 furlongs.

O’Brien said: “It’s incredible really, she’s a home-bred filly by Wootton Bassett who has all the options in front of her. She could go to the Arc, the Arc trials, and the Breeders’ Cup as well.

“In the spring when the fillies worked it was Whirl who came up in front. Minnie Hauk is a great traveller, a great cruiser, and we won’t see the best of her until she goes up in class against older horses.

“Even when she was following this filly at Epsom she was finding it very easy to follow her, but listen, we don’t know what this filly is yet either. We saw what happened at Epsom, where Ryan (on Minnie Hauk) was very confident that he was going to go and get her but she just kept coming with him.

“When they do come together we will find out who is the best.”