York’s Ebor meeting is creeping ever closer on the calendar. With just one week left until the Knavesmire’s showpiece, we have picked out horses of interest in two of the big Group 1s: the Yorkshire Oaks and the Nunthorpe Stakes.
La Petite Coco (Yorkshire Oaks, Thursday 3.35pm)
“The Yorkshire Oaks is something we’ll consider.” So said Paddy Twomey after LA PETITE COCO won the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh at the end of June.
The four-year-old is testament to Twomey’s training ability, as she has soared through the ranks since joining after only two starts for Andrew Kinirons last year. She immediately got off the mark for Twomey at Killarney, before a narrow runner-up finish in Listed company at Naas last July. That was her last defeat.
Since then, La Petite Coco has been unstoppable. She first claimed a second win at Killarney before a power-packed and devastating display in the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes this time last year. She won that race by 5½ lengths on her first, and as yet only, try over 1m4f. She rounded her 2021 off with a shock defeat of multiple Group 1 winner Love at the Curragh.
If that was not enough, that first Group 1 in the Pretty Polly Stakes, claimed on her reappearance, announced her as a genuine top class force for the season ahead. She beat a very progressive filly in My Astra that day and there are further reasons for her vials to be scared.
The daughter of Ruler Of The World may be even better stepped back up to 1m4f judged on her Give Thanks win last season. If that is the case, then this race is ideal for her and she will be very dangerous, especially if there is any rain.
Flaming Rib (Nunthorpe Stakes, Friday, 3.35pm)
James Tate’s filly Royal Aclaim is all the rage for this year’s Nunthorpe after a deeply impressive course and distance success early in July.
That contest may only have been a Listed one, but she showed credentials that could make her a Group 1 winner very soon. Nevertheless, the form of that race is only modest and there are plenty of each-way alternatives.
One of those may be fellow three-year-old FLAMING RIB, who has had a very solid season for Hugo Palmer. Since taking over at Manor House, he has overseen some impressive performances from this sprinter, including when beating a good field at Chester over the minimum trip in May.
He developed no end as a juvenile, putting all previous performances over 5f behind him that day. Since then, he has been a runner-up twice at a high level, being beaten just a neck in Haydock’s Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes and then by 1¼ lengths in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. He was disputing the lead heading into the final furlong of that latter contest, only to be beaten by proven group 1 performer Perfect Power.
He was then only ninth in the July Cup, but was drawn on completely the wrong side of the track in that Group 1. He now steps back to 5f again, but he looks to have the pace for it and if the favourite is not up to it, this race is suddenly open for a horse like him to claim.