2:55 – Doncaster – DFS PARK HILL STAKES (GROUP 2) (FILLIES & MARES) (CLASS 1) (3yo+) Good 1m6f132y
Wild Coco is a very fresh horse coming into today’s race given that she has only had one run this season which was 43 days ago at Glorious Goodwood when she won the Group 3 Lillie Langtry Stakes on her seasonal reappearance. She has had a decent break of 43 days since then and if Sir Henry Cecil’s 4 year old chestnut filly is able to run to her best form she would have won this race five times in the last six years based on her official rating.
Wild Coco was unraced as a 2 year old and made a more than satisfactory racecourse debut when she finished 2nd in a Newmarket maiden race over 1 mile 2 furlongs. She won her maiden emphatically on her second start when she was stepped up to 1 mile 4 furlongs at Haydock as her winning margin was 12 lengths. For her next start she was up in class to Listed level, winning over 1 mile 4 furlongs at Newmarket again. She then ran in the Lillie Langtry Stakes but could only finish 5th some 5 lengths behind the winner. The race was run on Good to Firm ground which she did not appear to act on. Her final start of the year was at York in a Listed race and she disappointed again although the feeling was that she did not give her running.
She was not seen again until she ran at Goodwood in August which was almost a year after her York run. Running over 1 mile 6 furlongs in Good ground she was held up in midfield before being ridden to make her effort 2 furlongs out. She went to the lead over a furlong out and powered clear from the field to win by 2 ¾ lengths. After the race a representative of her connections commented “Henry´s always thought a lot of her. When she was fourth last year she was very backward and needed time to grow.”
She has been given another nice break after her Goodwood win and she has conditions to suit again today. The going at Doncaster is Good and she has won once from two starts in the going. She runs over 1 mile 6 furlongs again having won at Goodwood over the same trip last time.
Stable jockey Tom Queally rides again today. He was onboard for her win at Goodwood and has ridden her five times in total including two of her three wins.
Sir Henry Cecil has only sent out 15 runners in the last two weeks, but 4 of the have won, so the yard is in good form. Wild Coco is the one to beat on the ratings and she will be the freshest horse in the race having had just one run this season. She has grown and strengthened up since last year and she was very impressive at Goodwood and given that she has the same underfoot conditions today and running over the same trip she could prove hard to beat.
