Yorkshire Oaks Option for Goodwood Heroine, Coco

3rd August, 2012 - Posted by Elliot Slater - Comments Off

Although the much loved Sir Henry Cecil is not in the best of health, at present, and has not been present at Glorious Goodwood, this week, his horses could not be in better form.

That fact was demonstrated by the impressive victory of the yard’s Wild Coco in the Group 3 iShares Fillies’ Stakes on day three of the showcase fixture at the picturesque Sussex track, writes Elliot Slater.

Following on from the victories of Noble Mission in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes, Chachamaidee in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes, and the facile ‘exercise gallop’ of a win for a certain Frankel in the Group 1 Qipco Sussex Stakes, Wild Coco kept the ball rolling by putting up a fine performance on her first outing for very nearly a year.

She was produced by the in-form Tom Queally to take it up just inside the final quarter before bursting clear, eventually coming home two-and-three-quarter-lengths to the good from French raider, Jehannedarc, with The Queen’s Estimate a further head back in third.

The mile-and-three-quarter trip certainly held no terrors for the four-year-old daughter of Shiroocco, the German-bred filly running on strongly despite her racecourse absence to hint that there could well be better to come at a higher level.

Wild Coco hadn’t been seen in public since being sent off the hot 11/8 favourite on Betfair to win the listed Galtres Stakes at York’s Ebor fixture last August, where she ran poorly, beating just one home.

After that disappointment, Cecil gave her plenty of time to strengthen up and prove that her earlier victory over Epsom Oaks runner-up, Meeznah, in the listed Newsells Park Stud Stakes, was no flash in the pan.

Wild Coco could possibly step up to the very highest grade and have a crack at the big guns in the Group 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York on August 23, but no definite plans have yet been confirmed.

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