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<\/p>\nAndrew Balding believes See The Fire is primed to mount a big challenge to her G1 Juddmonte International rivals at York on Wednesday on the back of an impressive piece of work that \u201ccouldn\u2019t have been better\u201d.<\/p>\n
While See The Fire failed to land a blow in a dramatic renewal of the G1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood last month, where a sustained period of torrential rain and a flag start disrupted proceedings, Balding is confident his filly can bounce back when she returns to the scene of her emphatic career-best win earlier this season.<\/p>\n
The four-year-old swept to a 12-length demolition in May\u2019s G2 Middleton Fillies\u2019 Stakes over the same course and distance as Wednesday\u2019s showpiece, taking her record at York to a perfect two from two.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings didn\u2019t really work out for her at Goodwood,\u201d the trainer told Andrew Le Jeune on the latest Idol Horse Podcast. \u201cThey had a lot of heavy rain in the couple of hours leading up to the race and something we know is that she\u2019s better on a sound surface.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe flag start didn\u2019t help either. She forfeited a few lengths at the start and you just can\u2019t give away ground, particularly in those conditions, so it was far from ideal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut she\u2019s come out of it well. She did a piece of work on Wednesday that couldn\u2019t have been better and we\u2019re delighted with her going into it. She\u2019s had the two runs at York and she\u2019s absolutely bolted up in the Strensall last year and she annihilated them in the Middleton this year, so it\u2019s certainly a track that plays to her strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Goodwood brought frustration, it\u2019s at York where See The Fire has looked at her brilliant best. She stamped her authority in the G3 Strensall Stakes at this meeting last year over nine furlongs and turned the Middleton Stakes into a procession on the Knavesmire.<\/p>\n
Now, though, she will attempt to break through at the top level and emulate her dam, Arabian Queen, who won the Juddmonte International in 2015.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to take a performance from the top draw,\u201d Balding added. \u201cSee The Fire hasn\u2019t won a Group 1 yet amazingly \u2013 she\u2019s been placed in a few \u2013 but it would be a lovely way to break the Group 1 duck.\u201d<\/p>\n
The four-day Ebor Festival at York could get better for Balding, as it could for See The Fire\u2019s dam, whose progeny will be well represented on the Knavesmire in the famous purple and turquoise silks of Jeff Smith.<\/p>\n
See The Fire\u2019s half-brothers, Spirit Mixer and Royal Playwright, could also line up at York in handicaps on the opening two days of the meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s extraordinary,\u201d Balding said. \u201cArabian Queen, who David Elsworth trained, won a Juddmonte International herself and I\u2019ve been lucky enough to train all her progeny.\u201d<\/p>\n
Balding also has Group 1 ambitions in the newly upgraded City Of York Stakes, sending Never So Brave to the top level for the first time on the back of his impressive G2 Summer Mile win over a mile at Ascot.<\/p>\n
Never So Brave joined Balding\u2019s yard at Kingsclere following the retirement of Sir Michael Stoute at the end of last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a little unlucky on debut for us at Chester, but he made up for it by winning at the Royal meeting in the Buckingham Palace and he won the Summer Mile really well last time,\u201d Balding continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a talented horse and he\u2019s got plenty of speed so I don\u2019t think the drop back to seven furlongs will be any problem for him.\u201d \u220e<\/p>\n
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