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Ground to dictate plans for Ribbons

3 minute read

James Fanshawe has yet to firm up future plans for Ribbons after her narrow defeat in the At The Races Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

Trainer - James Fanshawe
Trainer - James Fanshawe Picture: Racing and Sports

Although expressing his delight at her performance in the Group One event event on Sunday, the Newmarket handler warned he is not in a position to decide where she will be seen out next, stressing underfoot conditions are likely to be the deciding factor.

Running on ground quicker than ideal the five-year-old was seen finishing to good effect in the mile-and-a-quarter event, being narrowly beaten into third behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained winner Diamondsandrubies and 1000 Guineas heroine Legatissimo.

Fanshawe said: "Ideally we would have liked the ground to have been softer, but Ribbons ran very well to be beaten a short head and a neck in what was a tough race.

"I am very pleased with her and happy as you can be for finishing third.

"I haven't spoken to Frankie (Dettori) much, but he was pleased with her and said that a bit more ease in the ground would have played to her strengths.

"She will go where she gets her ground. She is in the Nassau, whether we go there or wait for Deauville (Prix Jean Romanet) I don't know at this stage."

Fanshawe has also signalled his intention to step Hors De Combat back up to a mile after finishing second in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket's July Course on Saturday.

The four-year old posted a staying-on second in the seven-furlong Group Three contest which went the way of the Barry Hills-trained Markaz.

Fanshawe said: "Hors De Combat seems fine, but we will see how he comes out of it. While there are no specific plans it is clear that he wants a mile."


At The Races

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