Believing © Photo Healy Racing
Believing could make a swift return to action at Goodwood next week following her Group Two breakthrough at the Curragh on Saturday.
After finishing fourth in both Group One sprints at Royal Ascot last month, George Boughey’s speedster recorded the most notable victory of her career to date on Irish Oaks weekend when comfortably coming out on top in the Sapphire Stakes under Ryan Moore.
“It didn’t surprise me that she won as she did, she’d been training good at home and it was great to put that Group Two on her pedigree because I think she sort of deserved it,” said Boughey.
“It was a pretty uncomplicated ride and I was delighted to tick the box.
“She’s a pleasure to train, but it’s taken a while to get there. She’s a credit to my staff, who have worked incredibly hard. She’s never been straightforward and she’s now absolute bus really – we can put her on a box or a plane or a boat, wherever she wants to go.”
A return to the Curragh for the Flying Five Stakes on September 15 is high on Believing’s agenda, but she is set for another outing in the meantime, with the King George Qatar Stakes on Friday week viewed as a likely target.
Boughey added: “The plan for some time had been to go to Ireland to trial her before the Flying Five and she may well go to Goodwood in between. I saw her this morning and she was fresh and well and sound and off to Goodwood we go, I think.
“Keeping her to five furlongs and it’s a lot of money at Goodwood. I know she’d have to carry a penalty, but so would the Australian horse (Asfoora) and I wouldn’t swap her at Goodwood anyway.
“I think she has the speed for it. Ryan was of the opinion that she would and if Ryan’s happy I’m pretty happy.
“The draw is obviously very key there and we’ll be slightly in the lap of the gods on that front, but she showed loads of pace when she won the Achilles Stakes at Haydock earlier in the year and again at Ascot and again on Saturday, so we’d certainly be willing to give her a chance.”
Looking even further ahead, Believing could well be heading to California in November.
Boughey said: “The Breeders’ Cup Sprint is probably the end-of-season target.
“I think Glass Slippers won the Flying Five and ended up winning at the Breeders’ Cup, so it’s a race that feeds in quite well.”
