G3 Albany Stakes
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...
Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's once-raced Carlisle maiden winner Venetian Sun (Starman) fulfilled the role of spoiler with aplomb and the Karl Burke trainee prevented a Ballydoyle clean sweep of Royal Ascot's juvenile pattern races with a dominant victory in Friday's G3 Albany Stakes. The 240,000gns Book 1 graduate, drawn in the supposedly unfavourable stall one on the track's far side, raced on the wing in midfield through halfway in this straight six-furlong contest. Coming under pressure to reduce arrears approaching the quarter-mile pole, the well-backed 7-1 chance made continued...
Friday, Royal Ascot, post time: 16:20, THE CORONATION STAKES-G1, £725,750, 3yo, f, 7f 213yT Field: Cathedral (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Cercene (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Chantilly Lace (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Duty First (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Falakeyah (GB) (New Bay {GB}), Flight (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), January (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), Kon Tiki (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Simmering (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Zarigana (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). TDN Verdict: All connected with Zarigana will be hoping that the blueblood can finally shine at the top level...
Friday's Royal Ascot confirmations have been made and the clash between the Aga Khan Studs star Zarigana (Siyouni) and Shadwell's exciting Falakeyah (New Bay) in the G1 Coronation Stakes is the highlight of the card. The former, who was awarded the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches last month, will attempt to establish herself at the top of the fillies' pecking order in this mile category with fellow TDN Rising Star Falakeyah dangerously unexposed coming back in trip after her scintillating win in Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes. Others of note...