Sumo Sam primed for Doncaster action in Park Hill Stakes

PA Sport Reporters
September 13, 2023 11:19 am

Competitive field assembled for ‘fillies’ St Leger’.

Sumo Sam bids to follow up her runaway success at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in the Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster on Thursday.

Paul and Oliver Cole’s filly was a widely unconsidered 25-1 shot for the Group Two Lillie Langtry Stakes, having been beaten in her first five outings of the season, but devoured the testing conditions on her way to an eight-and-a-half-length victory.

With the ground set to be on the easy side once more, Oliver Cole is hopeful of another bold showing in the ‘fillies’ St Leger’ on Town Moor.

He said: “She’s in good form, obviously she needs a bit of cut in the ground but it’s looking like she’ll get that and she’s pretty fresh after her last race at Goodwood. We’re looking forward to it.

“We were definitely expecting her to run better on that ground (at Goodwood), she is a very good filly and all being well she’ll go to the Prix Royallieu after this. The more rain the better for her.”

Sumo Sam’s rivals include Aidan O’Brien’s Irish raider Boogie Woogie, David Simcock’s Ching Shih, who was last seen chasing home St Leger candidate Arrest in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury, and the William Haggas-trained pair of Golden Lyra and Crack Of Light.

Assessing the chance of his duo, Haggas told Sky Sports Racing: “Crack Of Light has basically been running in France this year and has won a Listed race and is Group Two placed and Group Three placed.

“She’ll run a good race. It’s her first time at a mile and six and I’m not so sure about that, and Mr Oppenheimer (owner) isn’t either, but we came to the conclusion that we’ve got little to lose by trying and quite a bit to gain.

“Tom (Marquand) has plumped for Golden Lyra, who was useful last year at the backend on soft ground. She should relish the step up in trip and she ran a much better race in France last time, her best race for a year, staying on all the way to the line.

“I think she’ll run a good race Golden Lyra, especially now the rain has come. I think it was the rain that swayed Tom to go her way.”

Boogie Woogie will be ridden by Ryan Moore, who told Betfair: “This is another difficult race to call, but Boogie Woogie had good form in deep ground earlier in the season, including in Group One company, and hopefully you will see a sharper, better filly than you did at Cork off a break last time.

“This longer trip is well worth a go, and she has the form to figure prominently if she stays.”

John and Thady Gosden also fire a twin assault, with One Evening and Lmay both declared, while Night Sparkle is stepped up in class on her first start for Andrew Balding after winning her last four races for Michael O’Callaghan.