Hope Springs

After her success in the G1 Matron S., Alice Springs (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) can already lay significant claim to champion miling filly status and Saturday's G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket will be the acid test as to where she stands in that category. Her 3 1/4-length defeat of Persuasive (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), with the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Rothschild winner Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) back in third, in that Sept. 10 Leopardstown contest marked her out as a cut above all bar her stablemate Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Previously, she had captured the G1 Falmouth S. in similarly dynamic fashion on the July Course here July 8 either side of an indifferent display at Deauville when eighth in the Rothschild July 31. “She's in good form and everything has gone well with her since Leopardstown,” Aidan O'Brien said. “She likes that ground and if it stays nice, it will suit her well.”
With five renewals going to France in the last seven years, due respect must be afforded to Ecurie Salabi's Volta (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and His Highness The Aga Khan's Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). The former was the impressive winner of the G2 Prix de Sandringham over this trip at Chantilly June 5 before finishing third in the G1 Prix de Diane over 10 1/2 furlongs there a fortnight later and second to Qemah in the Rothschild. “She's a very good filly. After the Rothschild, we decided to give her some good time,” trainer Francis-Henri Graffard commented. “We thought about going to the Matron, but we stuck to our previous plan and I'm very happy I did that because she has blossomed. Last time she was a little bit flat before the race, but still ran really well and she is still improving physically. It's a stiff mile in Newmarket, so I don't see the trip as a problem.”

Ervedya has cheekpieces fitted by Alain de Royer-Dupre for the first time, having flattened out in 2016 with a latest non-threatening third in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois a surprise given her obvious talent at Deauville Aug. 14. “Jean-Claude [Rouget] is very pleased with Ervedya and says that her condition has improved since the Prix Jacques le Marois,” the owner-breeder's representative Georges Rimaud said. “He seems quite confident, even though he knows that these type of races are always tough to win. The Marois was a nice performance, you couldn't be disappointed with that as she hadn't run for two months and was taking on the colts. She is fit and ready for Saturday and won't mind the fast ground. The undulating course will be different for her, but she is very easy to ride so I don't think that will affect her. She is an important filly for us, a Classic winner, and this will be her last season of racing. We will be guided by her performance on Saturday, but there are a few international races that she could go on to afterwards.”
There is a third French challenger in the form of the Aug. 28 G3 Prix Quincey winner Siyoushake (Ire), also by Siyouni, but she was only fifth in the Rothschild previously and needs to step up. Adding further international flavour is the Jan. 9 G1 Paddock S. and Jan. 30 G1 J&B Met heroine Smart Call (SAf) (Ideal World) and there is no way of knowing where she fits in this company. What is obvious is the regard in which she is held by trainer Alec Laird, who said, “She has nothing more to prove in South Africa and if we didn't try, we would never find out just how good she is. She is definitely the best filly that I have trained and after she won The 'Met' I began to think that she might even be better than London News, who I sent over to finish third in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in 1997. It's quite exciting, as she will be my first true runner in Europe–London News was officially trained by Barry Hills.” Laird is looking for her to improve off this effort after a break. “I couldn't ask to travel with a nicer horse, as she has a very good nature and seems to have taken all the various flights in her stride,” he added. “It's extremely exciting just to be on the world stage and it's a real thrill for her to be in Newmarket–the home of horse racing. She spent three months in Mauritius to fulfil quarantine regulations, so she was only at 50 per-cent of her full fitness when she got to Newmarket. The Sun Chariot will be her first run in nine months, so it will be really tough as the top European horses are scary good. We are using it as part of her preparation for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.”