Eshaada seeking return to winning form in Park Hill prize

Group One victor leads the way in Doncaster feature.

Champions Day winner Eshaada sets the standard in Thursday’s Coral Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes.

The Roger Varian-trained four-year-old had the likes of Snowfall behind her when beating Albaflora in a driving finish to the Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot last year.

She has only been seen twice to date this season, with connections believing she is better come the autumn and she needs to bounce back having been involved in a barging match in the Lancashire Oaks when last seen.

“Hopefully she can get back to winning ways. We always knew she was more likely to be an autumn filly, it seems to be her time of year,” said owner Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold.

“She seems to handle easy ground, if that’s what we get. I don’t want to sound too clever in saying it’s the time of year rather than the ground but it seems that way.

“She was out late as a two-year-old, ran well early at three and was second in the Ribblesdale before disappointing in the Yorkshire Oaks. She won really well at Ascot on Champions Day.

“We ran her back at Newbury just to get a run into her when she ran a fair race, but things didn’t particularly go to plan last time out at Haydock.

“Everybody has been very happy with her training into the race, the plan has always been to head back to Ascot where the ground will hopefully be in her favour by that stage, so it will be nice to see her come out and run a good race.”

Varian also runs Believe In Love.

Eshaada’s main market rival is Ralph Beckett’s Yesyes, who finished third in the corresponding race 12 months ago which was won by Free Wind, the same filly who beat Eshaada in the Lancashire Oaks.

Yesyes is owned by Juddmonte and has had just one previous run this season.

“She was just very slow to come to herself this year, we don’t really know why,” said Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s racing manager.

“I went to Ralph’s in the first week of July and she still had a little bit of a winter coat on her so she took a long time, but it didn’t worry us as we were aiming towards these staying autumn races.

“We gave her all the time in the world as we were in no great rush. She had come well enough just before Goodwood and she ran very well in the Lillie Langty (beaten a length and a half into fourth) given how long she was off the track.

Trainer Ralph Beckett has two runners in the Park Hill Stakes
Trainer Ralph Beckett has two runners in the Park Hill Stakes (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Ralph feels she’s done well since that and softer ground will definitely suit her as she’s a big filly.

“We obviously had Haskoy in this as well, but having Yesyes did make the decision to supplement Haskoy for the St Leger that little bit easier. Without Yesyes we’d have probably played safe, so now we’ve two nice chances in two lovely races.”

Beckett also runs River Of Stars with Hughie Morrison’s Urban Artist, the Ed Walker-trained Glenartney, John and Thady Gosden’s Mimikyu and Nell Quickly from Denis Coakley’s yard completing the eight-strong field.

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