Alsace Lorraine

Along with Shamwari Lodge and Applause, Alsace Lorraine was the other filly who looked unlucky in the listed fillies' race, the Rosemary Stakes, run over a mile at Ascot on Saturday. James Fanshawe's filly was badly drawn in stall three, and Jamie Spencer did well to get her in amongst horses before the home turn, but she had plenty of ground to make up from early in the home straight, and was buried behind a wall of horses. As well as that, she is a filly who stays further than a mile, so the sedate early pace didn't help at all. After taking a tug passing the two-furlong pole, Spencer did eventually manage to find a gap a furlong out, and the filly showed a fine turn of foot to close all the way to the line, failing by just a half a length to catch the winner Ahla Wasahl, who enjoyed the run of the race as it turned out under Ahmed Ajtebi, racing wide and avoiding all the jockeying for position that went on towards the inside up the short home straight.

Alsace Lorraine has run just nine times now, and she remains progressive. On her penultimate run before Saturday, she stayed on well over nine furlongs to win a Class 2 fillies' handicap at Glorious Goodwood off a mark of 84. It was the first time that she was tried over a distance in excess of a mile, and she appeared to appreciate every yard of the new trip. She was stepped up to 10 furlongs on her last run before Saturday, for a listed race again at Goodwood, when she was fairly unlucky, travelling well up the home straight, not getting a run when her rider wanted to go forward and then getting a smack over the head from a rival's whip for good measure. She still finished just a length and a half behind the winner Nashmiah, who added solidity to the form of that race by winning another listed race at Yarmouth on her subsequent start. Alsace Lorraine was raised just 2lb for Saturday's effort which brings her up to a mark of 91, just 7lb higher than the mark off which she won at Goodwood. It is probable that that mark under-estimates her ability considerably. She will be of big interest in a handicap or a listed race next, ideally over 10 furlongs on good ground or better.

26th September 2009

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