13th-Sept-2018

I am taking a chance on God Given in the Park Hill Stakes.

Luca Cumani’s filly was beaten by Horseplay at Haydock in July and she was beaten by Pilaster at Goodwood in August.  However, she is 3lb better off with Horseplay on their Haydock run, and she was coming back at her going to the line.  The weight turnaround and the step up from a mile and a half to a mile and six furlongs today give her a real chance of reversing placings.  And she is more than twice Horseplay’s price.

She could only finish fourth behind Pilaster in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood, but she and Flattering between them set a really strong pace that day on the easy ground.  It was a race in which the hold-up fillies were probably at an advantage, and God Given travelled well in front to the two-furlong marker.

She went to France last time and she ran well to finish third behind Kitesurf in a Group 2 contest.  She was well beaten by the winner, but the winner could be very good, and she almost got back up to beat Palombe for second place.

That was over a mile and a half too and, again, she raced as if she would appreciate a step up to a mile and six.  The presence of Flattering in the race again is a slight concern, but it is unlikely that she will go too quickly.  She could just take a nice sit in behind the Aidan O’Brien filly.

Flattering’s stable companion Sizzling is an obvious danger, and Pilaster is a worthy favourite.  However, I don’t think that God Given should be as far behind the favourite in the market as she is.

GOD GIVEN WON (ADV 7/1, SP 5/1)