Charles Darwin (Ire)

Friday's G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot will witness a clash of the Guineas heroines as G1 Irish 1000 Guineas victrix Precise (Starspangledbanner) and G1 1000 Guineas winner True Love (No Nay Never) meet for a third time. Ryan Moore will partner the Precise, while Wayne Lordan will be aboard True Love. Nine-strong opposition to the Aidan O'Brien stablemates includes the Donnacha O'Brien-trained GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Balantina (Ten Sovereigns). Earlier on the card, 22 speedsters will go forward for the G1 Commonwealth Cup with Ballydoyle supplying...

Marking her return to action on Sunday with a hard-fought win in Naas's G3 Goffs Lacken Stakes, Havana Anna (Havana Grey) booked her ticket to Royal Ascot. While the even-money favourite Charles Darwin (No Nay Never) proved a major disappointment fading out of contention to be last of the eight runners, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up took full advantage to edge a four-way go. In the firing line from the outset under Gavin Ryan, the 9-4 second favourite who had won both her starts here at two held...

Off the track since taking the Norfolk at Royal Ascot, Ballydoyle's Charles Darwin (No Nay Never) returned to continue the winning sequence in Saturday's Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Committed Stakes at Navan. Asked to head the field by Ryan Moore under a five-pound penalty, the 4-11 favourite was a sitting duck throughout the near-six-furlong contest but answered every call to register a 1 1/4-length verdict over the Curragh maiden winner Silk Braid (Invincible Army) from the Ger Lyons stable. "It was good to get him started. He's a bull...

Making it a clean sweep for Ballydoyle of Royal Ascot's two-year-old Group races so far this week, Charles Darwin (No Nay Never) dominated the G2 Norfolk Stakes with a powerful display. Sent off the 8-13 favourite coming off three starts and two wins in his native Ireland, the full-brother to Blackbeard was quickest away and soon in command under Ryan Moore. Challenged and briefly headed by the US raider Sandal's Song (Mendelssohn) heading to the final furlong, the bay had extra in the tank to pull away and score by 2...

Aidan O'Brien will seek a 10th Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Thursday, with his prospects whittled down to just Illinois (Galileo) in the meeting's prestige feature. Last year's G2 Queen's Vase winner will take on the Aga Khan Studs representative Candelari (Frankel) from the Francis-Henri Graffard stable and that G1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier winner is like him a newcomer to these Cup races. Old stagers Trawlerman (Golden Horn) and Sweet William (Sea The Stars) are back again, while the All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap winner Wonder Legend (Sea The Stars)...

Navan's Saturday card featured a trio of black-type contests, but early focus centred on the €18,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for juveniles, in which Coolmore and Westerberg's Charles Darwin (Ire) (No Nay Never), a full-brother to dual Group 1 winner Blackbeard (Ire), illuminated proceedings with a spectacular 5 1/2-length triumph. Aidan O'Brien had annexed three consecutive renewals of the near-six furlong contest, including with subsequent G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) last year, and his 8-11 pick was away sharply to gain immediate control...