Wood tests Classic claims

ST FRANCIS WOOD entered plenty of notebooks on her racecourse debut at Newmarket last November and makes her eagerly awaited three-year-old debut back at Headquarters today in the Shadwell Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes.

The Irish River filly ran green and became unbalanced after a slow start, but stayed on well in the closing stages to secure second, promising plenty for the future.

This represents a fair jump in class for St Francis Wood, but trainer Jeremy Noseda needs to get a handle on her worth.