Newmarket: Blue Bolt too good for Precise in Falmouth Stakes as Senorita Bonita shines in victory
Blue Bolt took her game to a new level with a dazzling display on the Newmarket July course to down the four-time Group One winner Precise for her first success at the top level in the Falmouth Stakes.
Friday 10 July 2026 18:12, UK
Blue Bolt remained unbeaten this season when following up her Royal Ascot triumph with a brilliant display to down Precise in the Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
Andrew Balding's daughter of Blue Point was second to Fallen Angel in the Sun Chariot last October - her only other previous appearance in Group One company - but has proven unstoppable since and was notching her third win of the calendar year having landed the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at the Royal meeting.
Sent off the 85-40 second-favourite, Colin Keane had the four-year-old tracking Ballydoyle pacemaker Venosa among a group of four in the centre of the track that also included Aidan O'Brien's Irish 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner Precise, who was the 4-5 favourite.
With Venosa unable to take the field any further than six furlongs, the race began to quickly unfold with a quarter of a mile to run and although at one stage there were four in a line with jockeys urging on their mounts, inside the final furlong there was only one winner, with Blue Bolt surging two-lengths clear of Precise to edge the battle of the generations.
Balding said: "She's quality, she looked good at Ascot and it was just good to see her do it today in that style.
"She was just getting a bit lonely there at the end and she's just got that amazing cruising speed and ability to sustain it and she is exceptional.
"Colin has absolutely mastered her and I was saying earlier, since her debut at Southwell which feels a long time ago now, she has barely put a foot wrong on the racecourse. We're thrilled to have her.
"I think it was a deep race, definitely, and I think my concern today was the quick ground might have caught her out.
"I did think we would get a little further, but I think it's obvious after today a mile is her trip.
"Alcohol Free won a Cheveley Park, July Cup, a Sussex Stakes and a Coronation and she was unbelievably versatile, whereas this filly is just an exceptional miler.
"I think the Matron Stakes (at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend) is the obvious one, but whether we look at Deauville in between, we will have to see."
Although beaten when facing her elders for the first time, O'Brien refused to be despondent with the performance of Precise.
The master of Ballydoyle is now considering a step up in trip for the daughter of Starspangledbanner, something that was first pondered when the four-time Group One winner was talked of as an Oaks candidate following her Classic victory at the Curragh.
O'Brien said: "She ran very well, obviously she looked like she will stay further but we always thought that was going to happen anyway.
"We left her at a mile because there was no reason to move her up, but looking at her today, the older filly was a bit quicker through the middle of the race than her and just got away from her a little bit and she was coming back again at the line.
"We'll see, she still ran a very good race. It's possible we'll step up in trip now, but Diamond Necklace is going to Goodwood for the Nassau, so she won't go there."
Senorita Bonita shines in Duchess of Cambridge Stakes
Senorita Bonita gained compensation for her Royal Ascot near-miss when flying home impressively in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.
Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, who won this race with Arabian Dusk in 2024, the 900,000 guineas purchase was top lot at the Craven Breeze-Up sale and made a winning start at Nottingham in early June.
She found just Aidan O'Brien's Victorious too good in the Queen Mary Stakes at the Royal meeting, but was sent off 9-4 to go one better in the hands of Oisin Murphy on the July course, stepping up in distance to six furlongs.
Having raced somewhat keenly following an early bump, she soon settled down and after tracking the early pace, Senorita Bonita found herself ideally placed to demonstrate her electric turn of foot, lowering the colours of Albany Stakes winner and 10-11 favourite Libertango by three-quarters of a length.
Ed Crisford said: "They went no pace early, she got a bit of a bump and that set her alight a bit, but Oisin settled her lovely.
"Her turn of foot was electric today - once he said go, she picked up seriously well.
"It was a very good performance. After Ascot we felt like she definitely wanted six furlongs and we weren't really ever worried about that."
Crisford is now planning a step up to Group One level in France, adding: "I'd say we'll go for the Prix Morny. She has a penalty in Group Twos now and she showed today she's a very good filly, so I think we'll give her a go in Deauville."
George Boughey was not too disappointed with the performance of the vanquished favourite Libertango.
He said: "It's hard to know exactly how quick they went, but they looked to go slow early doors.
"She quickened off a very fast pace at Ascot and today I think she just got a little bit lost, not necessarily through the dip, but she didn't quite have that finishing kick she had at Ascot.
"Arguably she might have hit the front too soon because there wasn't a huge amount of pace to take her there, but I think to be a Royal Ascot winner and second in a Group Two behind a very good filly who came here with a huge reputation, she's not lost a huge amount in defeat.
"We'll get her home and see where we are and make a plan going forward. It (Lowther Stakes at York) is certainly a possibility, but we'll let the dust settle and she has had three relatively quick runs.
"She lost very little in defeat behind a good horse today - it's not like she was fifth beaten six lengths. She's run a good race but possibly slightly below what she did at Ascot."
