Anshoda earns Breeders’ Cup bid for Team Valor, Barber

Anshoda, a recent purchase for owners Team Valor and Gary Barber, won the Group 3, US$101,500 Prestige Fillies’ Stakes on Saturday at Goodwood, England. With her victory in the seven-furlong showpiece for 2-year-old fillies, Anshoda earned an automatic starting position in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

After heavy overnight rain that left the going soft, there were four scratches, including the top two ante-post betting choices Formal and Tabiti. A final field of seven went to post with the market headed by the experienced Royalty Bay at 2-1 in the pari-mutuel pool.

Fresh from her heroics in the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York, England, on Friday, jockey Hollie Doyle made the running on Victorious Racing-owned Duty First. Given the testing conditions, the pace was slow with Anshoda and Biniorella Bay positioned just behind the leader.

As the race turned into the straight Doyle led the field across to the stand-side rail, as is customary when the ground is soft, in what looked a race-winning move. However, under a firm Billy Loughnane drive, Anshoda picked up strongly and powered clear of her rivals to give his father, trainer David Loughnane, a memorable victory.

Duty First finished second, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner. Aidan O’Brien-trained Merrily was denied a clear run but stayed on to be a neck behind in third.

Anshoda traveled the seven furlongs over soft ground in 1:31.27 without a run-up. In the pari-mutuel pool she paid her backers $9.40.

Bought for only US$7,000 in May for owner Nawaf Almutairi, Anshoda won on debut and finished second in the Star Stakes at Sandown, England. That run prompted Team Valor and Barber to buy the unheralded daughter of Inns of Court before this race.

Eighteen-year-old Loughnane is enjoying a breakthrough season in the saddle after wins at Royal Ascot and York’s Ebor Festival and was impressed by his filly’s performance.

“She’s small but she tries very hard,” he said. “She was motoring towards the end of the race and was strong at the line. She’ll get further in time, and her light frame helped her in what was very soft ground.”