Falmouth hope Primo Bacio "really fresh" and "looking fantastic"

Primo Bacio’s performance in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on Friday could be one to make up for her Royal Ascot absence.

The Ed Walker-trained three-year-old was an impressive winner of the Listed Oaks Farm Stables Fillies’ Stakes when last seen at York in mid-May.

A run in the Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting was next on the agenda, but the wet weather put paid to that idea as Walker withdrew the filly when the ground became heavy.

Walker’s top-class sprinter Starman was also an Ascot non-runner for the same reason and joins Primo Bacio in rerouting to Newmarket, with the colt set to contest the showpiece July Cup on Saturday.

“Funnily enough I feel more confident about her, though this is a hard race and she’s taking on the older horses as well,” he said.

“Maybe confident is the wrong word, I’d say I feel more confident she’s going to run a good race.

“At Ascot I just wasn’t sure about the ground or the round course.

“Me knowing the filly, I just didn’t think it was right, she’s a really good filly with a good turn of foot – running a stiff mile in bottomless ground just didn’t feel right.

“It might be a blessing in disguise that we are where we are, she’s really fresh and looking fantastic.”

Primo Bacio has been described as something of a hard puller after her six career starts, but Walker feels she is settling and that some of her perceived over enthusiasm is actually just her naturally high head carriage.

“I think she’s getting better and better in that regard, she’s by a mare called Suvenna and her nickname in the yard is Sassy Sue because she is sassy, she’s got that edge,” he said.

“She’s got a high head carriage which makes her look as though she’s pulling harder than she actually is, but she does that just walking around the paddock – that’s just her.”

Walker’s confidence in the Awtaad filly has been further boosted by the form of Godolphin’s Creative Flair, who finished behind her at York and then went on to take the Listed Abingdon Stakes at Newbury on her next run.

“The Godolphin filly won a Listed race next time,” Walker said.

“And it’s just the way she went through the race and made them look ordinary.

“It’s really exciting to see where she’s going to end up, this filly.

“She’s flying, she’s in really good nick.”