William Jarvis confident Lady Bowthorpe can deliver on return to action

WILLIAM Jarvis has identified Newmarket’s Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes as his preferred target for Lady Bowthorpe, following her disappointing performance at Deauville last weekend.
Lady Bowthorpe ridden by jockey Kieran Shoemark wins the Qatar Nassau Stakes (Fillies' Group 1) (British Champions Series) during day three of the Goodwood Festival.Lady Bowthorpe ridden by jockey Kieran Shoemark wins the Qatar Nassau Stakes (Fillies' Group 1) (British Champions Series) during day three of the Goodwood Festival.
Lady Bowthorpe ridden by jockey Kieran Shoemark wins the Qatar Nassau Stakes (Fillies' Group 1) (British Champions Series) during day three of the Goodwood Festival.

Jarvis reports his Group One heroine – one of the equine stars of the 2021 Flat season – “healthy and sound” after managing only seventh of eight behind surprise winner Grand Glory in the Darley Prix Jean Romanet.

The trainer can shed no light on a below-par effort from his otherwise highly-consistent stable star – who travelled to France after victory in Goodwood’s Group One Nassau Stakes, began her campaign by winning Newmarket’s Dahlia Stakes and has run three other fine races this summer.

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Lady Bowthorpe, who has been instrumental to the resurgence of jockey Kieran Shoemark after his well-documented addiciton battles with alcohol and drugs, has several top-level entries over a mile and 10 furlongs this autumn, and Jarvis is confident all evidence suggests she is equally adept at either distance.

Lady Bowthorpe ridden by jockey Kieran Shoemark wins the Qatar Nassau Stakes (Fillies' Group 1) (British Champions Series) during day three of the Goodwood Festival.Lady Bowthorpe ridden by jockey Kieran Shoemark wins the Qatar Nassau Stakes (Fillies' Group 1) (British Champions Series) during day three of the Goodwood Festival.
Lady Bowthorpe ridden by jockey Kieran Shoemark wins the Qatar Nassau Stakes (Fillies' Group 1) (British Champions Series) during day three of the Goodwood Festival.

Reflecting on the five-year-old’s Deauville defeat, he said: “Nothing has really come to light. She seems fine, she’s eating well and she’s sound.

“Obviously, it was very disappointing. But that’s horseracing, it happens.

“I can’t really come up with an excuse for it. It just didn’t go our way.

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“It went our way at Goodwood, (but) it didn’t in Deauville. We’ve been in it for a long time, we can understand these things.”

Jarvis will take time to consider the next step for Emma Banks’ hugely-popular mare – with the Sun Chariot over a mile on October 2 currently Plan A, a return to France for the Prix de l’Opera ruled out and a choice of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes or Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 16 still possible.

“We’re going to sleep on it,” he said.

“Sometimes, you can’t quite put a finger on it. But the filly has come back healthy and sound, so that’s the main thing.

“She won’t go back to France, I wouldn’t have thought, for the Prix de l’Opera.

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“So we’ve got the Sun Chariot as a possible target for her.”

The QEII is also over a mile, while the Champion Stakes would mean staying at 10 furlongs.

Jarvis added: “I think she’s pretty versatile.

“We’ve got those (British Champions Day) races at Ascot. (So), if we’re not pleased with her in time for the Sun Chariot we can wait and take up one of those entries.”

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