This time it will be tears of joy if Lady Bowthorpe can land famous Group 1 win

Thursday: 3.35 Goodwood
Qatar Nassau Stakes (Group 1) | 1m2f | 3yo+ | ITV/RTV

Maybe this will be the day when Lady Bowthorpe gets her first taste of Group 1 glory. If she does, it's hard to imagine this Glorious Goodwood could have many more popular winners.

It's not just because of the horse, but also her humans, none of whom is accustomed to celebrating at the top level – at least not for an awfully long time.

Owner Emma Banks is bidding to become a Group 1 winner for the first time, as is jockey Kieran Shoemark, who had yet to be born when Grand Lodge provided trainer William Jarvis with his most recent Group 1 silverware in 1994.

The gap could have been bridged 20 days ago when Lady Bowthorpe finished a fast-finishing fourth in the Falmouth Stakes, having endured a far-from-clear passage, a reverse that reduced Jarvis to tears.

The five-year-old had earlier chased home Palace Pier in the Lockinge Stakes and finished second at Royal Ascot, and the hope within the camp is that there will be tears of joy this time.

"She means a lot to a huge amount of people and she has also never ever not tried," said Banks.

"What happened at Newmarket was bitterly disappointing and it was horrible for everyone that she got blocked, but Kieran was in a total no-win situation. She still ran a great race and the truth is that without lows there are no highs. We live to fight another day and we're now looking forward to Goodwood. I've even bought a couple of Panama hats!"

Lady Bowthorpe (second left) came from an unpromising position to finish fourth in the Group 1 Falmouth StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Banks added: "It wasn't an easy decision to move up in trip but we need to find out how she is over a mile and a quarter and Luca Cumani, whose Fittocks Stud bred her, has been saying for a long time that based on her breeding and what he has seen, she should be stepping up.

"It's amazing to be part of a race like this and I'm certainly not underestimating any of the horses in the field. I also think it's rather nice that in Lady B and Alison Swinburn's Audarya, two of the runners in the Nassau are owned by women who aren't members of any royal family."

Weight concession worries Fanshawe

Audarya also heads to Goodwood off the back of a defeat, yet that second-place effort behind Love in the Prince of Wales's Stakes was not only her finest performance on paper, it was likely the best single piece of form any of the six Nassau runners brings to the party.

The excellent Royal Ascot run signalled Audarya has built on her marvellous four-year-old campaign, which culminated in her landing the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland. That was the former Goodwood handicap winner's second Group 1 strike, the first having come at Deauville 11 months ago.

Audarya (centre, whip raised) makes a most encouraging return and just fails to reach Love (left)Credit: Edward Whitaker

"We're very lucky to have Audarya," said trainer James Fanshawe, who is unsure whether his stable star last month advanced on what she had previously achieved.

He explained: "I think her run in the Prix de l'Opera behind Tarnawa was very strong form and she then broke the track record at Keeneland, so whether or not she has improved since last year, I don't know. It all depends on how you analyse the form but I certainly think she ran very well at Ascot.

"The original intention had been for her first run of the season to be in France, but that was going to be complicated, so we chose the Prince of Wales's Stakes, knowing she wouldn't have to give weight to the three-year-olds. This time she is giving away weight, and looking at how strong a record three-year-olds have in the Nassau, it's obviously not going to be easy."

Fanshawe added: "She is always a difficult horse to judge at home but she seems well in herself, she has had a clear run into the race and we're looking forward to it."

Ballydoyle Classic winners reoppose

Aidan O'Brien runs not one but two Galileo-sired Classic winners in Goodwood's day-three centrepiece – and those two fillies have already taken part in a fierce racecourse battle.

Ryan Moore was aboard the subsequent Prix de Diane winner Joan Of Arc when she was caught on the line by Empress Josephine in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. Moore will once again be legged up on Joan Of Arc, with Frankie Dettori this time taking the mount on Empress Josephine, who was below her best when only eighth in the Coronation Stakes.

Empress Josephine (near) runs down Joan Of Arc in the Irish 1,000 GuineasCredit: Patrick McCann

O'Brien said of the duo: "We were delighted with the way Joan Of Arc won in France and everything has gone very well with her since so we're looking forward to seeing how she gets on here. Empress Josephine is up in trip and we should learn a lot more about her here. She seems to be very well in herself at home."

Zeyaadah seeks to justify Varian's faith

Two members of the Nassau field contested the Cazoo Oaks, albeit without any success.

The Martyn Meade-trained Technique finished seventh at Epsom, six places better than Zeyaadah, but that order was flipped around when they met 34 days ago in Newcastle's Group 3 Hoppings Stakes, which the Shadwell Estate-owned daughter of Tamayuz won by a head.

Zeyaadah (blue) is just too good for Technique in Newcastle's Hoppings StakesCredit: Grossick Racing

Zeyaadah's trainer Roger Varian said: "She hasn't done much wrong, with just that blip in the Oaks. She won a Group 3 last time and now deserves a crack at the Nassau.

"I still believe she can be a Group 1 performer. She probably has around 10lb to find if she is going to be a genuine Group 1 filly, but I think her best days are ahead of her.

"My feeling is ten furlongs is probably her best trip, but I would dearly love to run her on better ground, so I'm hoping the conditions at Goodwood continue to dry."

Assessing Technique, Meade said: "Compared to her last race this is obviously a huge step up in class, but I think it's worth rolling the dice. She is obviously an outsider and will most likely struggle to win but I think she'll operate on the track and the ground won't be a problem."

Thursday's race previews:

1.50 Goodwood: which of the Mark Johnston-trained five will flourish in opening contest?

2.25 Goodwood: can Gubbass make the jump from Super Sprint success to Group-race glory?

3.00 Goodwood: Tom Collins is keen to follow golden thread of Derby form in the Gordon Stakes

3.35 Goodwood: the big threat from the three-year-olds in the Nassau is not the one you think (Members' Club)

5.45 Galway: Gin On Lime seeks fantastic four-timer for Henry de Bromhead in novice chase

6.15 Galway: 'He's in brilliant form' – who is primed to run a big race in the Galway Hurdle?

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