Matilda Picotte heads to Merseyside for sprint assignment Kieran Cotter is looking forward to taking on the colts with Matilda Picotte when his 1000 Guineas runner-up drops back to six furlongs at Haydock on Saturday. The daughter of Sioux Nation was stepping up in trip from seven furlongs to a mile in the English Classic, and ran a fine race when attempting to make all, keeping on for third. Now she will drop back to her favoured distance of six furlongs, which both her career victories have come at for the Betfred Nifty Fifty Sandy Lane Stakes where stiff competition is likely to come from Aidan O’Brien’s Little Big Bear and last year’s Coventry Stakes winner Bradsell. The outcome of her trip to Merseyside could determine whether Matilda Picotte will head for the the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot or has another crack at seven furlongs in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville in early July. “We’re the only filly in the race, but she has taken them (colts and geldings) on before,” said Cotter. “I know we get 3lb, which is probably not a whole lot, but we don’t see anything there to be totally afraid of. Of course we respect them but we’re not afraid of them. “She has proper six furlong pace so we’ll just see where the land lies with her before the decision has to be made whether she goes for the Commonwealth Cup or not as she could go for the Prix Jean Prat in France.” Reflecting on Matilda Picotte’s 1000 Guineas endeavours, Cotter was thrilled with how his charge once again was able to outrun her odds to mix it with the very best. He added: “The mile at Newmarket is probably the only mile we would have run her over. She had form at the track and we knew she would handle it very well. “Not a lot of people know this, but the fillies race was almost four seconds faster than the colts and her time for the mile was faster than the winner of the 2000 Guineas the day before. Her second furlong was I think 11 seconds so she did phenomenally well to hold on for third. “She’s competed at the highest level of company throughout her career and has acquitted herself exceptionally well every single time.”
