Tag Archive for: Oliver Cole

Sumo Sam primed for Doncaster action in Park Hill Stakes

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.



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Jack Darcy makes it six of the best for the Coles

Jack Darcy made all to uphold family honour and provide the Coles with their sixth success in the Grand Prix de Deauville.

Paul Cole first won the Group Two event with Ibn Bey in 1988 and took home the first prize five times as the sole licence holder at the family’s Whatcombe base.

But it is the first time since Oliver Cole has joined his father on the licence that they have tasted glory in the mile-and-a-half contest on the Normandy coast.

Second to Hamish in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood two starts ago, it was a welcome return to form for Jack Darcy who raced too freely when last seen at Newbury.

And having snapped a nine-race winless run, he will enter Cole family folklore having added his name to the race’s roll of honour.

“He’s a very good horse,” said Oliver Cole.

“Arguably he was a bit too keen in the Geoffrey Freer and it didn’t really go for him. Today he was lovely and relaxed in front and got his own way and won well.

“I nearly didn’t run him because he’s had two quick runs in succession and this was a third, but he’s a very talented horse and he’s shown it today, it’s a good race to win.

“My father has won the race five times, and now we’ve won it six (in total). We love the race and I’m really proud of the horse.

“I remember all the good horses we’ve had win this, Snurge, Courteous and the others. It just means so much for us.”

Delighted co-owner Edward Gascoigne said: “One of the owners is Mick Burns, who is Australian. He’s been very patient as he bought a 50 per cent stake in the horse over a year ago, before the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, and with the idea of acquiring a Melbourne Cup contender.

“It didn’t go well, as the horse suffered a setback and it took us a while to get him back to his best. We’re thinking in terms of the Caulfield Cup, but we’ll have to discuss it all together as there will be sizeable field, there’s going to be a lot of pace, and the distance is likely to be a bit long for him.”

He added: “I have fond memories of this place because I came here with my father a few years ago for a poker tournament, which I won. It was at the Lucien Barrière casino, so this win brings back good memories!”

Jack Darcy’s victory was the final leg of a fantastic treble for the British-trained raiders at Deauville on Sunday, and Mill Stream appears to have teed-up a shot at Group One competition having landed back-to-back course and distance sprints.

A winner of the Prix Moonlight Cloud earlier this month, Jane Chapple-Hyam’s son of Gleneagles took another step up the sprinting ladder by following up in impressive style in the Barriere Prix de Meautry.

Then fresh from a first Group One victory when winning the Prix Morny at the track last week, the father and son duo of Simon and Ed Crisford struck again when Poker Face claimed Barriere Prix Quincey honours.



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Royal Scotsman expected to leave Curragh disappointment behind him

Royal Scotsman has a major Goodwood target in his sights but could head to Royal Ascot before that if he recovers from sore feet which caused his lacklustre run when favourite for the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh

The Paul and Oliver Cole-trained colt was a well-supported 6-4 chance after finishing a fine third to Chaldean in the Newmarket version.

However, he never looked on good terms with himself under Jamie Spencer and post-race tests showed the Fitri Hay-owned son of Gleneagles had an excuse.

Oliver Cole said: “He came back from Ireland and his front feet were a bit sore.

“Going down to post, he never picked the bridle up and coming up the straight, when racing, he never picked the bridle up. Clearly, it wasn’t his day. We will put a line through it. It was just one of those things.”

Royal Scotsman (left) on his way to a track-record success at Goodwood last season
Royal Scotsman (left) on his way to a track-record success at Goodwood last season (Adam Davy/PA)

Twice a winner at Goodwood last term, including when breaking the six-furlong track record, connections are confident he can still make his mark over a mile, although he has the option of dropping back to seven furlongs for the Jersey Stakes as well as staying in top-class company for the St James’s Palace Stakes.

“Either we go for the Jersey Stakes, the Group Three, or the St James’s Palace Stakes, we’ll play it by ear,” added Cole.

“I suppose if you take the softer option, there’s more chance of winning. He has got plenty of speed – he broke the track record over six (furlongs, Richmond Stakes at Goodwood) – and is in the July Cup.

“I think you have got to say he is potentially a very good miler. We have just got to hope that everything falls into place.

“The Sussex Stakes is the plan. It is whether we go Jersey or St James’s Palace, then Sussex, or he could even go straight to Goodwood. We will see what he is like. It is just getting over the setback – he was just sore on the soles of his feet.

“It was amazing, because before the race I had so much confidence. He is such a consistent horse, so to do that… but it’s horse racing.”



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Tests for Royal Scotsman after Guineas disappointment

Beaten Irish 2,000 Guineas favourite Royal Scotsman is undergoing tests following his lacklustre run at the Curragh.

Paul and Oliver Cole’s colt was sent off was sent off a heavily supported 6-4 chance in Ireland having finished third to Chaldean in the Newmarket equivalent.

However, he never looked like getting involved under Jamie Spencer and came home ninth of the 11 runners, beaten over seven lengths.

“He’s come back and he’s a bit sore, we’re just investigating now,” Oliver Cole told Sky Sports Racing.

“I don’t really want to say too much, but he never picked the bridle up going down to post and he never picked the bridle up during the race which is totally unlike him.

“So, we’re investigating now and it will all come out in the wash in the next couple of days, but it certainly wasn’t him.

“All options are still there for him – the St James’s Palace, the Jersey, we’re just trying to do the sensible thing. If we went for the Jersey, we could step back up to the Group One miles after that, all being well.

“We need to win a race with him.”



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