Coco Hill

Those two wins, both coming in autumn 2022, tell the real story. The first arrived at Chepstow in September of that year, followed by another at Great Yarmouth in October — and then nothing. Forty-four months have passed since Coco Hill last reached the winner's enclosure, which is a long time by any measure. The recent form makes for uncomfortable reading too: finishing 6th, 8th, 7th, 11th, 8th, and 13th across the last six races suggests a horse that is struggling to find its old spark, rather than one on the cusp of something.

One thing does catch the eye, though. On slightly soft ground — the kind of going you get after a day or two of autumn rain — Coco Hill has won 2 of just 3 races, a hit rate of 67%. That is remarkable for a horse that otherwise wins so rarely, and it suggests conditions matter enormously here. If the ground comes up soft, this is suddenly a very different proposition.

The partnership with jockey Finley Marsh, however, has not delivered. Nine races together and not a single win between them. That is not necessarily anyone's fault — the races haven't fallen right, or the ground hasn't suited — but it is a combination still waiting for its moment. Trainer Adrian Wintle, based at Westbury-on-Severn in Gloucestershire, has been in good form this season with 30 winners from the yard, so the training operation is clearly doing something right. Coco Hill, racing just yesterday and still very much active, is the kind of horse that keeps a small yard ticking over — consistent enough to enter week after week, but needing everything to align before that third career win arrives.