Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam believes Saffron Beach can reap the rewards for swerving an outing at Royal Ascot by opening her account at Group One level in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket’s Moët & Chandon July Festival on Friday 9th July.
The New Bay filly will revert back to a mile for the first time since filling the runner’s up spot in last month’s QIPCO 1000 Guineas on the Rowley Mile after she failed to feature in the Cazoo Oaks at Epsom Downs on her most recent appearance.
With the drop down from a mile and a half and a return to a sounder surface, expected to play to Saffron Beach’s strengths, Chapple-Hyam is confident her stable star can score for the first time since landing last year’s Group Three Oh So Sharp Stakes on the Rowley Mile in October.
Chapple-Hyam said: “The Falmouth has been on the radar as she will get a good bit of weight off the older horses. She had an easy week training and out at grass after the Oaks and we have been gradually building her back up for the Falmouth.
“Adam Kirby said it was just too heavy for her at Epsom. He wasn’t hard on her in the last two furlongs and he let her come home in her own time.
“Instead of rushing her for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, which would have again been on heavy ground, we did the right thing and gave her a bit more time as we have got five weeks between the Oaks and the Falmouth Stakes.
“It is a hard mile on the July Course so we will give it a go and hope for a bit better ground. Hopefully we will see her shine through like she did on all those races over on the Rowley Mile.”
Chapple-Hyam admits she is happy to keep Saffron Beach at a mile for the time being, however she hasn’t ruled out exploring options back over further in the future.
She added: “Adam Kirby is very sure that she will get a mile and a quarter. The unknown was the mile and a half but we never really got a true gauge if she got it on really heavy going.
“I think we would be sticking to a mile and then possibly going up to a mile and a quarter as planned if not this season then next as she will race again next year.”
Plans had been in place to race Saffron Beach abroad at some point this season, but with the current restrictions making travelling difficult Chapple-Hyam will continue mapping out plans domestically for the time being.
Chapple-Hyam said: “We will just take each race as it comes as the traffic light system for travelling changes from month to month and even getting to France is tricky.
“She appears to be training well and I think while we have got races in England for her we will enjoy the racing here.”
