La Petite Coco and Billy Lee © Photo Healy Racing
The 2/1 favourite La Petite Coco lit up the meeting at Cork when routing her rivals in the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes.
Billy Lee tracked the leaders on the daughter of Ruler Of The World before sending her to the front over a quarter of a mile from home. She was quickly clear and the race was for minor honours only from the furlong pole as she came five and a half lengths to the good.
Three horse flashed by the post together as they fought for second place, with Thunder Kiss (11/4) winning that contest by a head and a short head from stablemates Federica Sophia (9/1) and Amma Grace
It was a third success, and a first in Stakes company, for the Team Valor-owned winner.
Winning trainer Paddy Twomey said: “We've had her since April and she has not put a foot wrong.
"I was very keen to go to Killarney the last day for experience when the chance was there - the owners wanted to go straight into Group company but I talked them out of it and I'm glad now we did.
"She is progressing physically and is enjoying training and has plenty of talent.
"She has plenty of entries and I said after Killarney that the EP Taylor is a possible target, but I have her in the Champion Fillies and Mares race in Ascot in October and the Prix Vermeillle is in France for her also.
"She is versatile ground-wise and while she has to step up past Group 3, I think 1m4f is no problem to her, although she has the pace for 10 furlongs.
"I was hoping she'd do something like that."
Quotes from Thomas Weekes
