Marsha to make surprise tilt at Breeders’ Cup Sprint
In a surprise move yesterday, it was announced that Sir Mark Prescott’s smart sprinter Marsha is to take her chance in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar next month.
The dual Group One winner earned her place in the big race when beating Lady Aurelia by a nose in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August and is likely to meet that filly again in America.
On her latest outing, she finished runner-up to the very fast Battaash in the Prix de l’abbaye at Chantilly this month and was expected to go straight to the December Mare Sale, but her owners, Elite Racing Club, have now decided to have one more roll of the dice.
“The plan is to head to America,” Elite Racing manager Dan Downie said. “It was always an option after York given that was a ‘win-and-you’re-in’ race. We’d had it in the back of our minds, but a lot depended on what happened in Chantilly and yet again she ran another tremendous race.
“It was an easy decision in the end. If she’d disappointed then we wouldn’t be going, but I’ve seen her since she returned from France and she looks tremendous.
“Crucially, she should get her ground, as even though she ran well in the Abbaye it was a bit soft for her. It’s a complete unknown, but we’ve got nothing to lose.”
Bryan Cooper made a quiet start in his job as first jockey in Britain to owner Alan Potts when heading to Ludlow yesterday for two mounts. One finished last and the other unseated Cooper two fences out.
Cooper said: “It’s a great opportunity, they have some fantastic horses and I’m looking forward to it. We’ll take it week by week. I’ll be based in Ireland; Ruby [Walsh] did it for many years and I don’t see why I can’t do it.”