Wiggy Woo

On last year’s sprinting form, there is no doubt that Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})is in a league of her own lining up for Saturday’s G3 Fred Darling S., but the small matter of a seventh furlong is the troubling scenario as connections face the age-old question of the spring. Potensis Bloodstock’s flying filly was ablaze in the G2 Lowther S. at York in August and G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket in September, but that natural fire will have to burn more steadily in the hands of Richard Hughes today. “In her coat and physical well-being, she looks a million dollars and looks like a colt,” he commented. “If she stays, she stays and it’s not the end of the world if she doesn’t, so I’m going to try and drop her in. She’s only been dropped in once in her career and she settled quite well and if I go and make it, I would then have to try and drop her in first time in the Guineas. I’d rather do the homework and use it as a trial on Saturday and hope that she settles.” 

While Richard Hannon is a name accustomed to the big time, Jonny Portman is the opposite, but he supplies a genuine contender here in Royal Razalma (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Successful in the five-furlong G3 Cornwallis S. at Newmarket in October, the chestnut is stepping up markedly in trip but her conditioner is expecting her to relish the test. “She has wintered well and she’s training well,” he told PA Sport. “We had anticipated starting her off on slightly softer ground, but it’s not the end of the world. We are looking forward to seeing her out and seeing what her trip is going to be and how good she is going to be. I’d be confident of seven furlongs being no problem for her. It might give us some clues that she might get the mile as well.” 

John Gosden puts forward the promising Jellicle Ball (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) for the Lloyd-Webbers and she looked a filly with a bright future when scoring on debut over this trip on Kempton’s Polytrack in October.