The Park Hill Stakes (Group 2)

Run over the St Ledger distance of a mile and 6 furlongs this race is restricted to fillies and mares three years or older. Nine go to post with the Sir Henry Cecil trained Wild Coco top rated on 113. A belated return to the racecourse for the Group 3 Lillie Langtry Stakes over the same distance at Goodwood suggests Henry always had an autumn campaign in mind for her. She had run in the same race the year before, after two good wins, going off favourite but didn’t do herself justice. It would appear a year’s break did her all the good in the world and she’d no problem putting the race to bed to win comfortably by 2 3/4 L.

On rating The Queens Estimate is next best off a mark of 110. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute she was third to Wild Coco at Goodwood having previously won the Queens Vase over 16 f and the way she’d stayed on at Goodwood suggests 14 f may have been a bit on the sharp side for her.

Kailani was an impressive winner of the Pretty Poly Stakes and as a result went on to represent Godolphin in the Oaks. It didn’t happen for her as she was held up out the back and when she came with a run suffered interference with Maybe effectively ending her chances. A quick return for the Ribblesdale didn’t work where slow out of the stalls again effectively ended her chances. She’s a daughter of duel Oaks winner Kazzia (suggesting stamina not an issue) and having been put away since Ascot, if she can regain her spring form she’s not out of this.

Ambivalent is a filly on the improve, backed to win off a mark of 72 in a Nottingham handicap she duly obliged. Roger Varian stepped her into Listed company after that in the Aphrodite Stakes where market exuberance sent her off favourite but inexperience at the level saw her run well in third. She followed up in the Chalice Stakes, Listed class again, this time getting the better of the favourite Set To Music. The question with her is how she’ll cope with the extra 2 f on quick ground.

Cracking Lass, the oldest mare in the field at six has only managed three wins in twenty one attempts. Arguably the best of her form came in this race last year when beaten 11 L and connections have decided to give it another try on the back of an encouraging third in her comeback run in the Galtres Stakes. Bite Of The Cherry was a L behind having previously been a 5 L winner of a Newmarket handicap over 13 f.

Hazel Lavery won the Aphrodite (Ambivalent in behind) and was then sent to contest the Lillie Langtry won by Wild Coco but didn’t fire. She may not have coped with the track at Goodwood and Doncaster may suit better.

Gallipot is a winner of two recent all weather Kempton handicaps both over 11 f. She’s a daughter of Galileo out of a Spinning World mare and unlikely John Gosden would pitch her in here unless she had a chance of doing herself justice. That remark also applies to Monshak the second string of Sir Michael Stoute. She refused to race last time out but her three previous runs suggest she has talent. Before refusing she had won her previous two starts and her debut run saw her run second to Great Waters (beaten 3 L) since the winner of the Irish Oaks.

This is a trappy contest from a punting point of view where measurement of class will come with hindsight. Nevertheless Kailani at 8/1 represents value if the spring form can be replicated.

A day for the boys in blue.

Recommendation: Kailani 8/1 win