Amazonas Faces Tall Task in First Lady

Sir Robert Ogden’s Amazonas (IRE) had an easy blowout through the stretch under exercise rider Alice Haynes in preparation for Saturday’s $400,000 First Lady (G1).

“She just had a little blow and we did what we wanted,” said Andrew Stringer, assistant to trainer Edward Dunlop. “We didn’t want to blow the race the day before.”

Speaking Friday morning on “At the Races” of Great Britain,Dunlop said, “She was also (nominated to) the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) on the Polytrack on Sunday, and we were deliberating for a very long time about which race to run in. We’ve opted for the Saturday race and obviously there is another European filly in there, in the Aidan O’Brien-trained Say (IRE), who ran third in a Group 1 in Ireland.

“We need to improve on all ratings. She runs on Lasix, which every horse in the race does. She’s travelled over extremely well and if she’s not quite good enough she can run in a Grade 3 (the Pin Oak Valley View) at Keeneland in a fortnight’s time.

“She needs to improve but she’s got the right profile. She’s lightly raced, she’s tough and she can quicken but these are proper fillies. She’s probably not a true Group 1 filly in Europe, but we’ve gone to America because we thought it might be slightly easier. If she’s not good enough then we have the fall back of the Grade 3. She’s a stakes winner but we’d like to make her a group winner.”