Coco Sun out to break history trend in Group 1 Underwood Stakes

Not many mares win the Group 1 Underwood Stakes but success in Saturday’s Caulfield feature could be the first step in a massive spring trifecta for the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Coco Sun.

The Group 1 Underwood Stakes is a tough obstacle to overcome for mares but success in the Caulfield feature often opens the door to bigger spring riches.

Only six mares have won the Underwood Stakes in the last 60 years with Bonneval (2017) being the last of those for Kiwi trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.

Two of those winners, How Now (1976) and Tristarc (1985) went on to complete a Caulfield spring treble, the Underwood Stakes, the Caulfield Stakes and Caulfield Cup.

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Ballarat trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy have set classy mare Coco Sun the same task in 2024.

Like How Now and Tristarc, Coco Sun was a Group 1 winner over a staying trip as a three-year-old when she claimed the South Australian Derby in May.

The South Australian Derby triumph was Coco Sun’s fifth win in 11 starts but Tony McEvoy said the mare had significantly developed since her top level success.

“She’s strengthened up a lot. She’s really furnished,” McEvoy said.

“She was always quite a big filly but she’s a very good sized mare now, very deep (in the girth) and very strong.”

Jamie Kah gets her first G1 victory in her home state of South Australia 👸

What a performance by Coco Sun in the South Australian Derby 🔥 @mcevoymitchellpic.twitter.com/3YpSv4kMfu

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 4, 2024

Coco Sun started her spring campaign in encouraging fashion, closing late despite racing tight in the straight to finish less than three lengths from the talented Another Wil despite carrying 60.5kg.

The daughter of The Autumn Sun drops to 56kg under the weight-for-age conditions of the Underwood Stakes while McEvoy said Coco Sun would be much fitter for her first-up outing.

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“It was a good run first-up,” McEvoy said.

“She ran competitively and didn’t have a lot of room in there in the straight. She was very good.

“She seems really well and she will be further improved out of the second-up run.

“It’s a Group 1 race so it will be very tough. But she should run well.”

Another Wil goes bang! Storms down the outside to win the last at Caulfield💨@[e-mail]/CfFhYbLIJt

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 31, 2024

Jamie Kah, who rode Coco Sun in her South Australian Derby win, will be aboard the four-year-old in the Underwood Stakes.

TAB rated Coco Sun as an $18 chance in its opening final field market on the Underwood Stakes.

Godolphin galloper Pericles, who scored easily at The Valley at his last start, has eased from $2.90 to $3.10 but is the early favourite ahead of the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Place Du Carrousel, who immediately firmed from $6 to $5.

Buckaroo, a second-up winner of the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes in Sydney, is a $6 chance.

Buckaroo is one of two Chris Waller-trained runners in the $750,000 feature along with Kovalica while Duke De Sessa ($19) will be local champion trainer Ciaron Maher’s sole representative.

Originally published as Coco Sun out to break history trend in Group 1 Underwood Stakes