Caernarfon will have her sights slightly lowered for her next outing following her game effort in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

Although only fifth on the Sussex Downs, Jack Channon’s Oaks third was beaten just two-and-three-quarter lengths in a muddling renewal of the 10-furlong Group One.

The contest was run at a steady pace before turning into a dash for the line as Roger Varian’s Al Husn proved best placed to grab the honours and although proud of his filly for once again proving herself worthy of a place at the top table, Channon was left to rue the way the race was run.

He said: “It was a mess of a race. Ryan (Moore, aboard Above The Curve) has walked round, controlled the race and then they have sprinted and us, the French filly (Blue Rose Cen) and Nashwa had no chance from where we were.

“Nashwa has picked up well and our filly has picked up as well all the way to the line. They took two lengths out of her and never got further away, she’s been beaten just over two and a half lengths.

“She ran an absolute cracker, but the race certainly wasn’t run anywhere near what we would have liked to suit her. We’re not the only one, it was the same scenario for Blue Rose Cen and Nashwa. I couldn’t be happier with her performance.”

Caernarfon could now get her passport stamped as the West Ilsley handler eyes securing the confidence-boosting success her consistent efforts this season have deserved.

She has options at both the Curragh and Deauville, as Channon prepares to drop the filly back to Group Two or Group Three level over the coming weeks.

He continued: “I honestly believe she is quite a flexible filly and I wouldn’t hesitate going a mile and a half or a mile and a quarter with her, it will be just where the best race for her fits from now.

“She’s proven she is capable of mixing it with the best Group One fillies, but hasn’t been quite capable of winning one just yet. I do believe she will eventually win one, where and when that will be I don’t know, but we’re trying to get her head in front now.

“There is no such thing as an easy Group race, but we will probably drop down a grade or two now and just try to find a race to win before we step back up again.

“She’s in the Snow Fairy Stakes at the Curragh (August 26), she’s also in the Prix de Alex Head which used to be the Prix de la Nonette at Deauville on August 20 and she’s also in the Blandford (Curragh, September 10) albeit that’s a few weeks later.

“I’ve got three races in mind over a three-week period and whenever I feel she is ready to rock and roll again we might have a go at one of those.”

Channon is also looking forward to the return of Gather Ye Rosebuds who created a taking impression on debut at Newbury before disappointing in the Musidora when upped in class for her second start.

She is reported to have thrived over the summer months and with the summer rainfall making conditions soft throughout the country, could have her optimum ground when next sighted on track.

“I couldn’t be happier with her and she has put on something like 30 kilos since the Musidora,” added the handler.

“All she has done is improve physically all through the summer and with her wanting a bit of juice in the ground we felt there was no point in battering her head against the quick ground in the summer.

“Obviously that meant we were a bit on the back foot when the soft ground has come around now, but she’s probably a couple of weeks away from running again with a view to having probably two runs at this back-end and then putting her away for a four-year-old campaign.

“She’s a massive filly with a big engine and I’m not going to rush her.”

Next week’s Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot is among the options under consideration for Caernarfon after trainer Jack Channon decided against a bid for Classic glory in France on Sunday.

A creditable fourth over a mile in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, the daughter of Cityscape stepped up on that performance when third in the Oaks at Epsom over a mile and a half.

Caernarfon had the option of running in this weekend’s French Oaks at Chantilly over a mile and a quarter, but while Channon is keen to try her over the intermediate distance on her next start, he scratched his stable star from the Prix de Diane on Tuesday morning.

Explaining the decision, Channon said: “If I’m brutally honest, I didn’t like the outlook of the French race, simply due to the fact it can be a very messy race.

“From a wide draw you can’t win at Chantilly and even with a plum draw, she’s not the biggest, she’s the type of filly that could lose her position and if you get too far back round there it’s a very hard place to win.

“I just thought there’d be better options and some of the races in the late summer, like the Nassau at Goodwood, are going to be right up her street.”

Caernarfon will now either take on the boys at the Royal meeting or wait for Group One opportunities against her own sex.

“We’ve got a couple options, you’ve got the Hampton Court Stakes over a mile and a quarter if you wanted to go against the colts at Ascot, or you’ve obviously got the Ribblesdale against the fillies over a mile and a half,” Channon continued.

“We could definitely look at a mile and a half again in the future, but I think a mile and a quarter is where I want to go with her next.

“You’ve got the Pretty Polly in Ireland over a mile and a quarter a couple of weeks after that, so we’ve got a few options and we’re not concrete on anything yet.

“She’s in great form and wherever we go she’ll be ready to rock and roll. She’s come out of Epsom probably better than she did Newmarket, so we’re chuffed.”

Jack Channon was far from downhearted after coming within two lengths of Betfred Oaks glory with Caernarfon in his first season with a training licence.

Channon took over from his father Mick at West Ilsley at the start of the year, and has wasted little time in making his presence felt in the fillies’ Classics, with Caernarfon having also taken a fine fourth in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket last month.

Stepping up to 12 furlongs for the first time at Epsom, Channon thought he might be about to enjoy a dream start to his training career as Caernarfon briefly grabbed the lead two furlongs out.

However, the unstoppable Frankie Dettori – landing his second Group One of the day – delivered Soul Sister with a perfectly-timed challenge to secure the honours, with Caernarfon touched off a head by Savethelastdance for second.

The 40-1 shot could now drop back in distance after delighting Channon with her run.

He said: “I thought she was going to win two out, but then I saw Frankie was cantering as well. She’s a very good filly, I’ll see what Connor (Beasley, jockey) says but she tanked herself into the race, had every chance and she’s probably just been outstayed by two stayers.

“She’s a very good filly and has run a belter. She’ll probably drop back to 10 furlongs but I’ll have a chat with Connor and let the dust settle.

“I couldn’t be happier – apart from if she’d won.”

Beasley was equally as thrilled, adding: “She travelled lovely into the race. Coming away down Tattenham Corner she came underneath me really good and I thought, ‘I’ve just got to try to pick a way through’. She obviously hit the front and I don’t think she’s quite seen it out.

“But it was amazing, what she’s just done there, and I think we’ve got a very nice filly to go to war with.

“I can’t thank Jack and Mick Channon enough and the owners – they’ve stood by me with her.”

Savethelastdance was sent off the 5-6 favourite on the back of her wide-margin Cheshire Oaks victory, one that came on deep ground as opposed to the much quicker Epsom conditions.

Her trainer Aidan O’Brien offered no excuses in defeat, saying: “She has run well but she obviously handles soft ground and stays very well.

“We were very happy with her really. She has a lot of options and we can do whatever.

“Ryan (Moore) was very happy and said she ran a good race. She stayed on very well. The winner was a bit quicker than her on the better ground, but she ran well. She ran a great race but she was beaten by a very classy filly.

“Ryan said she was not finished going to the line and that she was still going strong. A furlong out she looked like she was going to be third, but she stayed on well to be second.

“We will take her home and nothing is ruled in or out.”

Maman Joon, who had finished second on her only previous start at Newbury, defied her odds of 50-1 to take a distant fourth for jockey Kevin Stott and trainer Richard Hannon.

The rider said: “It was a really good run on just her second start. She will be going places and we like her a lot. I was riding for luck more than anything and it turned out the way I wanted.

“They just quickened up a bit quicker than I did, but that is probably down to her inexperience. It was a good run. I think there is a nice prize in her.”

There had been drama at the start when Running Lion, a stablemate of the winner, kicked out in the stalls before backing out and breaking free, leaving Oisin Murphy stranded and forcing her withdrawal from the race.

John Gosden is now targeting quick compensation in France, as long as the filly recovers sufficiently.

He said: “Running Lion has never done anything wrong before – she’s a pussycat. She got her leg caught in the gate and cut it, so they had to take her out, and then she got loose.

“We’ll get her right and then take her for the Prix de Diane in 16 days’ time.”

Murphy added: “She just kicked the back gates open.”

Caernarfon is reminding Jack Channon of some of the great fillies of his past ahead of her tilt at the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday.

The daughter of Cityscape provided Channon’s father Mick with success in the Montrose Fillies’ Stakes last autumn and it would be somewhat fitting if she was to build on her 1000 Guineas fourth and provide the younger Channon with a Classic victory in his first season since taking over the training licence at West Ilsley.

As well as assisting his father, Channon has previously spent time working for Clive Brittain, and having been encouraged by what he has seen from Caernarfon since Newmarket, is now looking forward to her next big-race assignment, believing she compares favourably with some former top-class fillies.

“We’re really excited and she ran an absolute belter in the 1000 Guineas,” said Channon.

“I’ve been very lucky to have been around some very good fillies in the shape of Rizeena and obviously some of dad’s very good fillies – Samitar, Queen’s Logic, Music Show, Nahoodh and all those – and it’s very exciting to have one again. They are very hard to come by, but she gives me a similar feel to some of those good ones.”

Caernarfon was staying on strongly in the closing stages of the 1000 Guineas but will now have to prove her stamina as she takes the leap up to a mile and a half on the Downs.

However, Channon has always felt she would benefit from tackling further than a mile and is quietly confident she will take the challenge of the Oaks in her stride.

He continued: “Her work has taken a step up since Newmarket and she did a wonderful piece of work on Friday that has got everyone very excited. We’re quietly hopeful she stays.

“We felt going into the Guineas she would benefit from going up to a mile and a quarter. It’s one of those where we don’t know if she will stay a mile and a half but she has all the assets to and she looks a stayer physically, even if her pedigree doesn’t reflect that.

“The way she runs and the way she races will say there is a chance and she looks to have improved a bundle since the Guineas.

“Her work has improved immeasurably and her well-being and her coat and everything else, I couldn’t be happier with. We’re excited to give it a whirl.”