COQUELICOT doubled her score for the season with a determined success from the front in the Goffs Tingle Creek Sale Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Challenger Mares’ Series Qualifier) at Sandown on Saturday.
Now that her jumping has improved so much she is really fulfilling her potential over hurdles and has given her enthusiastic owners two fantastic days in the last fortnight.
With a dry forecast in the coming week we opted to run her on proper winter ground that was very much in her favour at Sandown rather than wait for Cheltenham in a week’s time.
That decision was rewarded with a fine performance by Coquelicot who set off in front, was always in control and found more when challenged by West Bilboa who was smart as a novice.
It was good to hear Aidan Coleman say that he had a bit more left in the tank if things had become tight in the closing stages.
We are all over the moon with Coquelicot, whose nickname at home is “Cookie” and she could run next in a valuable mares’ handicap hurdle at Kempton on December 27.
I was hopeful of a big run, too, from Sam Brown who appeared to be in the form of his life ahead of the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree. But he made hard work of his jumping, seemed to switch off and was immediately struggling when the race came to the boil.
We will check him out thoroughly and see if something comes to light.
