Friday's G3 Japan Racing Association Sceptre S. at Doncaster has attracted two serious fillies in Nemoralia (More Than Ready) and Lumiere (GB) (Shamardal), with the former perhaps in a better place at present after her impressive success in York's G3 City of York S.
Terry Allan, James Lovat and Charles Pigram's pride and joy brushed aside the older horses in that seven-furlong contest on Aug. 19 and the form has subsequently been boosted by the G3 Prix du Pin win of the third Jallota (GB) ( Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}).
Also second in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 17 and fourth in the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly July 10, Nemoralia carries stable confidence with Jeremy Noseda commenting, “I have been delighted with her since York. She worked well on Saturday morning and once again I expect her to be very competitive.”
Lumiere disappointed when a well-beaten ninth of 10 in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville on July 31, but trainer Mark Johnston's son and assistant Charlie is hoping she can show the kind of form that saw her finish on her own in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. on her prior racecourse outing over a mile at Newmarket July 7.
“It was all well and good being impressive winning a listed race, but it was a completely different kettle of fish in France running against the likes of Qemah,” he said.
“The way the race was run didn't pan out for her. The pacemaker missed the break and was hard ridden and that just lit her up and she just ran herself into the ground. This race is somewhere in the middle of the last two and if she can show us that same sparkle she did at Newmarket she will be stepping back up to the highest level, but she will need to win this.”
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