Goldikova bounced back to her winning form with an impressive performance in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes (Eng-I) at Newmarket July 8.
A winner of three group/grade I races in 2008, Goldikova capped off her 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT) at Santa Anita. The Freddie Head trainee disappointed in her 2009 debut, finishing seventh in the Prix d’Ispahan (Fr-I) in May.
Given plenty of time off since that start, Goldikova had been training well and looked to be in great condition when warming up under regular pilot Olivier Peslier. Sent off as the favorite in the one mile contest, Goldikova sat just off the early lead set by Spacious.
Peslier sent Goldikova to the front with just over a furlong to run, and had plenty in the tank to hold off the late challenge of Heaven Sent, crossing the finish line a half-length in front.
Heaven Sent had to settle for second, a half-length in front of Spacious, who regained the third spot over Rainbow View by a neck. Final time for the eight furlongs was 1:36.21 over the good turf course.
When talking about Goldikova's poor showing in her last start, Head told reporters after the Falmouth, “The ground at Longchamp was so bad, and the filly could not get out of it. She has been working well coming here and I was very happy with her prep gallops so I was very confident."
"I also had a virus in my yard earlier in the season,” he continued, “but hopefully that is over now and the horses are all coming on.”
Regarding future plans for Goldikova, Head commented, “She has a couple of options at Deauville during the summer, and of course to go back to California and win the Breeders' Cup Mile again is the ultimate aim.”
Goldikova was bred in Ireland by her owners, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer. She is by the recently deceased French stallion Anabaa, out of Born Gold, by Blushing Groom. She hails from the immediate female family of French champion Gold River.
