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Breeders’ Cup major target for Anshoda

irishracing.com news

Published at Aug 27, 2024, 13:42

The Breeders' Cup 2024 is at Del Mar racecourse in California
© Photo Healy Racing

Anshoda could head straight to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf following her superb Prestige Stakes victory at Goodwood.

A taking winner at Lingfield on debut, David Loughnane’s daughter of Inns Of Court was proving her 66-1 second in Sandown’s Star Stakes was no fluke when scoring in the hands of Billy Loughnane on the Sussex Downs.

That was her first run for new owners Team Valor LLC and Gary Barber who are relishing the prospect of seeing their new recruit compete Stateside in early November.

However, before making the trip to California, Anshoda is likely to undertake a racecourse gallop, with the timing of her two entries in Britain falling at awkward dates on the calendar.

“It was a very nice performance, no doubt about it, we’re going to bring her to the Breeders’ Cup that’s for sure then after that we will send her back to England,” said Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor International.

“We promised the trainer we would leave things to him and we will follow through on that. I have talked to him a little bit and he doesn’t know if she will run before the Breeders’ Cup or not.

Racecourse gallop en route to Breeders' Cup

“There are two possible races for her, one is the Rockfel Stakes (September 27) and the other is the Fillies’ Mile (October 11).

“David thinks the Rockfel is too soon after Goodwood, while the Fillies’ Mile is too close to the Breeders’ Cup. So he might just pick a racecourse and do an afternoon gallop there and head to California like that.”

Anshoda is the first horse the owners have had trained by Shropshire-based Loughnane, and Irwin revealed how he gave up long-held family plans to ensure the exciting prospect carried the respective colours of Team Valor and Barber after watching her fine effort in defeat to Celestial Orbit at Sandown.

Irwin explained: “My wife and I had planned a trip to England, it was going to be a two-and-a-half-week trip and I was going to visit my daughter and my wife has written a play that takes place in Knightsbridge and she was going to do some research. We were going to see some horses and it was going to be a great vacation.

“On the morning of the trip we were having pancakes in a restaurant waiting for our driver to take us to the airport and I was offered this filly. I was shown the Star Stakes and her debut and I liked her.

“As I started dealing with it, I could see that if I wanted this filly I was not going to make this trip as I was going to have to work that weekend to get the job done. I cancelled my trip, spent the whole day on the phone and the trainer and a long-time agent of mine worked together to get the deal done.

“It was a pain and hard work to get the deal done, but it was worth it in the end. Goodwood ended up being a wonderful day for us and we hope to have some more.”