La Petite Coco (Ire)

The catalogue for the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, headlined by five Group 1-winning fillies in the Sceptre Sessions alone, is now online. A total of 1,054 lots have been entered to sell from Nov. 28-Dec. 1, with the Sceptre Sessions set for Nov. 28-29. Leading the high-quality catalogue is four-time Group 1 winner Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) (lot 1904); dual Group 1-winning miler Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) (lot 1878); G1 Nunthorpe S. heroine Winter Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) (lot 1865); and the Group 1 winners...

G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}) will be offered during the Tattersalls December Mares Sale from Nov. 28-Dec. 1. The Paddy Twomey trainee will go through the ring during the elite Sceptre Session on Nov. 29. Also, a winner of the G2 Blandford S. and G3 Give Thanks S., the 4-year-old races in the colours of Team Valor. Bred in Ireland by Bernd and Ute Schone, the filly is out of a half-sister to G1 German Derby winner Laveron (GB) (Konigsstuhl {Ger})....

Highlighting a stellar training performance by Paddy Twomey, Team Valor's G2 Blandford S. winner La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}--La Petite Virginia {Ger}, by Konigstiger {Ger}) led home My Astra (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and stablemate Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on her seasonal debut in Sunday's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Let go at 9-1 with the punters' confidence shaky, the bay tracked the clear leading pair early with Billy Lee showing the same unerring sense of timing he had in...

The Curragh's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. takes centre stage on Sunday and it is a strong renewal, with the G1 Prix d'Ispahan and G2 Dahlia S. winner Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) tackling several others who have pretensions at attaining that level. This is the first time that the 5-year-old will tackle a mile and a quarter, but her emphatic display over nine furlongs and 55 yards in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan at ParisLongchamp on May 29 suggests it is time to try. Trainer Ed Walker is hoping...

He may be without one of the most exciting horses in his stable this weekend after being forced to rule Limiti Di Greccio (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) out of Sunday's Irish G1 1000 Guineas but Paddy Twomey has talked up the chances of Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) ahead of the G2 Lanwades Stud S on the same day. Pearls Galore was beaten just a neck in the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown last season before chasing home Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de la Foret...

It was a case up heads up, heads down at the close of the G2 Moyglare "Jewels" Blandford S. at The Curragh on Sunday with the 3-year-old La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) enjoying the rub of the green to shade it from Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). On a weekend replete with close finishes, Team Valor's 16-5 shot needed all of the 10 furlongs to reel in Ballydoyle's G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Oaks heroine but there was just enough yardage to overhaul that 6-5 favourite...

Coco has many different meanings in French and it is maybe futile to try to divine which one caught the fancy of the breeder and first owner of brave 3-year-old filly La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}--La Petite Virginia {Ger}, by Konigstiger {Ger})--a brilliant winner of the G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks S. at Cork on Saturday. But one of those many meanings is a terme affectueux, a very popular term of endearment, equivalent to 'dear', 'darling', or 'sweetie'. Famously, "Mais non, mon coco," is...

Coming into Saturday's G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks S. with a growing reputation, Team Valor's La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) only served to enhance it significantly as she ruled with an iron fist in the Cork feature. Runner-up to the re-opposing Willow (Ire) (American Pharoah) in the June 23 Listed Naas Oaks Trial before dominating a conditions event over 11 furlongs at Killarney July 12, the 2-1 favourite was always travelling enthusiastically behind the front pair and when given her head by Billy Lee...