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racing news |
Cochabamba Seeks Prestige at Goodwood
20/08/10
Cochabamba has the seven-furlong £40,000 Group Three Prestige Stakes (3.40pm) at Goodwood on Saturday, August 28, firmly on her agenda as she bids to continue the promise of her first two career starts.
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Cochabamba followed an impressive Polytrack maiden win at Lingfield on July 7, with a fine second to Lily Again in the seven-furlong Listed Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Star Stakes at Sandown on July 22.
Cochabamba’s form has a solid look with Lily Again subsequently finishing fourth in the Group Two Debutante Stakes at the Curragh and Star Stakes third Crying Lightening just being touched off in the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month.
The Hurricane Run filly, owned by a small syndicate of Teal’s loyal owners, the Rat Racers, was her sire’s very first winner. She was led out unsold for 8,000 guineas at Tattersalls in November, 2009.
Teal revealed today: “Cochabamba’s Sandown effort was a cracking run as, due to the dry weather we had, it was her first time on grass - she must have been wondering what the green stuff was under her feet.
“She won going away at Lingfield on the Polytrack and it was probably greenness that got her beat at Sandown.
“The third ran a cracker to finish second in the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket next time and the winner went and ran a really solid race in a Group Two at the Curragh.
“We decided after the Sandown race to target the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood with her. I did toy with the idea of running her in the Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury against the colts because her sire Hurricane Run won over a mile and a half, but I decided to keep her against fillies for now.
“I want to give her more experience and then we can think about taking on the colts down the line.
“She has shown that the trip won’t be a problem and, being by Hurricane Run, she will definitely get further anyway. I don’t think she would want it too soft, although I wouldn’t be too worried if there was a little bit of rain.”
The Prestige Stakes is well titled given the race’s standing as a leading contest for juvenile fillies with top-flight aspirations. Numerous past contestants have gone on to compete and triumph in Group/Grade One company.
Among them, 2000 winner Gossamer progressed to win the Group One Fillies’ Mile and Group One Irish 1,000 Guineas, while Nannina (2005) also landed the Fillies’ Mile and added the Group One Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot the following year.
Other outstanding winners of the race include Pure Grain (1994), Bella Colora (1984) and Fairy Footsteps (1981).
The Prestige Stakes is one of the highlights of a fantastic seven-race card, the feature of which is the £100,000 Group Two totesport.com Celebration Mile (3.05pm), which has attracted an excellent entry including the last two winners of the Group Two Betfair Cup at the course, Lord Shanakill and Finjaan, as well as Group Two Summer Mile hero Premio Loco, Group Two Hungerford Stakes victor Shakespearean, 2009 Group One Sussex Stakes winner Rip Van Winkle, successful in the Group One Juddmonte International Stakes at York on Tuesday, and fellow top-flight scorer Beethoven.
The day also features the £40,000 Listed Windflower March Stakes (2.30pm) over a mile and six furlongs, while the second day of the meeting, Sunday, August 29, hosts another enthralling seven-race card when the feature contest is the seven-furlong £57,000 Supreme Stakes (3.55pm).
Goodwood also stages an evening fixture on Thursday, August 26, prior to its late August highlight.
