Grade 2 Target For Daughter Of Walk In The Park

Larchmont Lass (6m Walk In The Park – Tocororo, by Teofilo) made a successful step up in trip to gain her first win over hurdles at Wincanton on Thursday.

The Paul Nicholls-trained mare won a Listed mares’ bumper at the end of last season and was last seen finishing fourth to Queens Gamble (Getaway) in a Listed hurdle. She was sent off favourite for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on Thursday, with Harry Cobden settling the bay at the back of the field for much of the two mile and five furlong contest. She improved to challenge the leader approaching two out and the pair soon drew clear, with Larchmont Lass asserting at the final flight. Staying on well, she was ridden out to score by two lengths, while Time In The Sun (Getaway) finished 17 lengths clear of the third.

Speaking after the race, the winning trainer said, “This was going to be much more her trip as long as she settled. If that was heavy ground, I'd definitely run her in a Grade 2 at Sandown this month and ride her like we did there. She'd then qualify for the mares' final at Newbury in March.”

Nicholls and Tom Malone purchased Larchmont Lass at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale for €95,000. The daughter of Walk In The Park is owned by Michael Geoghegan and was bred by Coolmara Stables.